Norwegian forward Jorgen Strand Larsen opened the scoring with a clever finish from behind the defense after a miscue by the Portuguese goalkeeper André Ferreira, and Celtic capitalized on solid defensive organization to claim a vital result in the relegation battle. The home side took a 1-0 lead in Balaídos this season, a victory that boosts their survival hopes in a tense fixture.
The Galician outfit endured another challenging night on the ball, surrendering possession and inviting pressure from Granada in the second half. A chorus of whistles echoed from the stands as Vicente Guaita produced a superb save to deny the equalizer in the 63rd minute. Lucas Boyé also came close with a sharp intervention following a setup play that had Celtic reeling in midfield, as Bryan Zaragoza created a pivotal moment with his movement and persistence.
Larsen’s moment of sight and instinct kept Celtic from slipping into trouble. The two sides demonstrated why they sit in the bottom half of the table, with both teams struggling to carve out clear chances through combined play. The youth in Celtic showed bursts of potential, particularly on the left wing where Larsen stretched Granada’s defense and forced Kevin Vázquez into difficult moments early in the second half. A precise diagonal shot at 59 minutes narrowly missed the target, leaving the crowd on the edge of their seats.
Benítez handed Mingueza’s introduction and refreshed the midfield with Luca de la Torre. The game shifted toward a more cautious approach, as Celtic focused on protecting their lead. The match took another dramatic turn when ten minutes remained after Iago Aspas received a direct red card for a sending-off that altered the dynamics for the final stretch.
With ten men, Celta Vigo showed resilience, weathering Granada’s late push that failed to convert a clear opportunity. The Nasrid side pressed until the final whistle but could not turn pressure into an equalizer. Granada left Vigo with a sense of frustration, and their chances of climbing the table looked increasingly precarious as they head into a stretch of fixtures without a win. The result keeps persistence at arm’s length for a few more days and leaves both teams with varying ambitions for the season’s remainder.
Data sheet:
1 – Celtic: Guaita; Kevin Vázquez (Mingueza, min.61), Unai Núñez, Carlos Domínguez, Ristic; Bamba (Luca de la Torre, min.71), Tapia, Dotor (Fran Beltrán, min.90), Cervi; Aspas and Strand Larsen (Douvikas, min.71).
0 – Granada: André; Ricard (Callejón, min.81), Miquel, Torrente, Carlos Neva (Racing, min.81), Gumbau, Sergio Ruiz (Doors, min.88), Gonzalo Villar (Melendo, min.70), Bryan, Uzuni, Lucas Boyé (Famara, min.81).
Aim: 1-0, m.20: Larsen.
Judge: Sánchez Martínez (Murcian committee). He sent Iago Aspas off with a direct red card (at least 80). Additionally, Larsen (min.19), Kevin Vázquez (min.28), Guaita (min.65), Dotor (min.69), Ristic (min.74) and Carlos Domínguez (min.83) were cautioned. For Granada, Gumbau (min.92) and Famara (min.93) were cautioned as well.
Events: The match, aligned with the 17th matchday of LaLiga, was played before an attendance of 18,027 at the Abanca Balaídos stadium.
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