Celta Vigo survived more than an hour with ten men to edge Lille 2–1 at Estadio Abanca Balaídos on Thursday night, a result that tightens their grip on a UEFA Europa League play-off place. An explosive first-minute strike from Williot Swedberg and a second-half goal from Carl Starfelt gave Claudio Giraldez’s side a cushion they ultimately needed, as Olivier Giroud’s late reply set up a tense finish. The victory lifts Celta to 12 points and a +4 goal difference after seven league-stage games, while Lille remain on 9 points and see their own campaign stall.
First-half analysis
The night could hardly have started better for Celta. After just 1', Williot Swedberg put the hosts ahead, finishing a move created by Iago Aspas. That early breakthrough allowed Giraldez’s team to settle into their 3-4-3 shape, with Aspas orchestrating from the front and Swedberg stretching Lille’s back line.
The match turned on its head around the half-hour mark. At 28', a VAR review flagged an incident involving Hugo Sotelo, and a minute later, at 29', referee Harm Osmers produced a straight red card for the Celta midfielder for a foul. Reduced to ten men, Celta were forced into a more reactive posture.
The temperature rose quickly. Marcos Alonso was booked for argument at 31', followed by Lille defender Nathan Ngoy’s yellow for a foul at 32'. Óscar Mingueza also saw yellow for dissent at 33', underlining Celta’s frustration. Aïssa Mandi, introduced for Nabil Bentaleb as early as 10', collected Lille’s second yellow at 40'. Despite the numerical advantage and early defensive reshuffle, Lille failed to turn pressure into a first-half goal, and Celta reached the interval 1–0 up.
Second half and tactical shifts
Both coaches moved decisively at the restart. Giraldez sacrificed attacking experience for defensive solidity and legs, withdrawing Iago Aspas and Borja Iglesias at 46' for defender Sergio Carreira and forward Pablo Durán. The change effectively shifted Celta towards a more conservative, counter-attacking approach, prioritising structure over fluency.
Bruno Genesio responded in kind, reshaping his back line at 46' by taking off Alexsandro Ribeiro and Thomas Meunier, bringing on the more attack-minded Matías Fernández-Pardo and Tiago Santos. It was a clear signal Lille intended to push higher and wider against ten men.
Celta, however, struck the next blow. Swedberg, already on a yellow for time wasting at 64', was involved in the build-up before Carl Starfelt doubled the lead at 69', finishing after a pass from Miguel Román. That 2–0 advantage allowed Celta to lean fully into a low-block, survival mode. Swedberg then made way for forward Jones El-Abdellaoui at 71', a like-for-like swap to keep fresh legs up front.
Genesio chased the game with further attacking intent, replacing Félix Correia with Soriba Diaoune at 74'. Celta’s time-management tactics were evident, with goalkeeper Ionuț Radu booked for time wasting at 81'. Lille finally broke through at 86', Giroud converting after Diaoune’s assist to set up a nervy finale. Genesio added left-back Calvin Verdonk for midfielder Marius Sivertsen Broholm at 87', while Giraldez shored up his flanks and midfield late on: Mingueza went off for Hugo Álvarez at 89', and Javier Rueda was replaced by Mihailo Ristić at 90+2'. Celta, despite the man disadvantage, held on.
Statistical deep dive
The numbers underline just how hard Celta had to work. Lille controlled 74% of the ball, completing 552 of 610 passes at an impressive 90% accuracy. Celta, by contrast, managed just 26% possession and 222 total passes, with a 66% completion rate. Once reduced to ten men, the home side essentially ceded the ball and focused on compact defending and selective transitions.
Lille also generated far more volume in attack, with 20 total shots to Celta’s 7 and seven blocked efforts, yet both sides finished with only four shots on target. The expected goals figures – 1.53 for Lille versus 1.23 for Celta – suggest the visitors carved out slightly better chances overall but were no more clinical. Celta maximised their limited opportunities, scoring twice from their four efforts on goal, while Lille converted just one of their four.
Discipline framed the contest’s intensity. Celta committed 9 fouls to Lille’s 11 but collected four yellow cards and a crucial red, compared with Lille’s two bookings. The red for Sotelo forced Celta into a backs-to-the-wall performance, and the subsequent time-wasting cautions reflected a side intent on protecting a precious lead.
Standings and implications
In the broader Europa League landscape, this win consolidates Celta Vigo’s position in the play-off picture. They sit 14th in the overall table with 12 points from seven games (four wins, three defeats) and a +4 goal difference (14 scored, 10 conceded), maintaining their “Promotion – Europa League (Play Offs: 1/16-finals)” status. Their home record of three wins from four underlines Balaídos as a genuine asset.
Lille, ranked 21st with 9 points and a +2 goal difference (11 for, 9 against), also remain in a play-off slot but with a far less comfortable margin. Three defeats in four (form: LLWLL) hint at a side losing momentum at a critical juncture, and this failure to make their dominance with the ball count in Vigo may prove costly when the final league-stage positions are settled.
