Celta 3 - Barcelona 3

Celta: Pinto; Coira, Cáceres, Yago, Juanfran; Giovanella, Doriva; Karpin (Vagner 83'), Mostovoi (Edu 08'), Gustavo López (Tomás 94'); Catanha. 4-2-3-1.
Barcelona: Dutruel (Reina 44'); Reiziger (Simao 34'), Abelardo, Frank De Boer, Sergi; Xavi (Guardiola 48'), Cocu; Gabri, Rivaldo, Overmars; Kluivert. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Celta: Juanfran, Giovanella for Noguerol, Tomás / Barcelona: Dutruel, Cocu, Gabri, Rivaldo for Arnau, Gerard, Simao, Luis Enrique.

Goals:
1-0. 09. Catanha. Touched in after pass from Edu on left side of goal.
2-0. 13. Catanha. First time shot from Karpin's cross which touched Abelardo.
2-1. 18. De Boer. Clearance from Catanha hit him on back and bounced in.
3-1. 26. Catanha. Powerful header into bottom corner after cross from Gustavo.
3-2. 50. Kluivert. Low header on near post after quick Rivaldo free kick.
3-3. 62. Kluivert. First time shot after combination by Overmars and Rivaldo.

Three goals in the first half hour from Catanha were not enough to defeat Barcelona, who fought back in the second half to earn themselves a valiant point. Catanha was on devastating form in a Celta side which is gradually recovering their star players, Juanfran, Giovanella and Edu returning from suspension for this one, with Djorovic and Velasco due to come back in for their Thursday night UEFA cup game with Shahkhtar Donetsk (who incidentally were in the crowd). The Brazilian turned Spaniard had not scored for several matches, but with almost his first three touches of the ball he left Dutruel high and dry with a striking efficiency second to none.

Dutruel himself suffered his worst nightmare in this match, returning to his old haunting ground to boos and jeers from the supporters after leaving Celta last season under controversial circumstances, announcing his agreement with Barcelona halfway through last season and being left out by Víctor Fernández for the rest of the campaign. Dutruel was substituting the injured Arnau, out for three months after damaging knee ligaments, and having scored the three goals against him, Catanha added injury to insult as it were, going in to try and head the ball out of the keeper's hands just before half time and catching his knee as he went past. After extensive treatment the keeper had to be helped off the field, 18 year old B team keeper Pepe Reina (who's father Miguel played in goal for Barça for seven years) coming on in his place. Medical tests after the match revealed that the Frenchman had severe bruising but nothing broken, but he is still likely to be out until the beginning of January.

Substitutions were being made thick and fast, with Mostovoi leaving the pitch after only eight minutes with back pains to be replaced by Edu (who made the first goal just after coming on), and Serra Ferrer bringing on Simao for Reiziger ten minutes before half time as he switched back from a 4-2-3-1 formation to his preferred 3-2-3-2. Gabri, who was making his first start of the season in Simao's place on the right wing, moved over to the centre to make room for the Portuguese winger. Then three minutes into the second half Barcelona made their third and final change, club captain Guardiola returning to the side after three months out with an ankle injury in the place of the young pretender, Xavi. The return of their captain inspired Barcelona, and they came back into the match with two goals from Kluivert within 15 minutes of his reappearance, the first after a quickly taken Rivaldo free kick and the second after good work by Overmars and Rivaldo. The draw favoured Celta rather than Barcelona and they rise a place in the table to ninth, whereas their opponents drop one to seventh.