For 37 minutes at the Estadio Balaídos on Sunday, Celta Vigo looked like the most untouchable team in Spain. Fresh off dumping Lyon out of the Europa League, they were playing with a swagger that bordered on arrogance. But by the final whistle, that swagger had turned into a shell-shocked stare as Deportivo Alaves pulled off the comeback of the season, overturning a three-goal deficit to snatch a 4-3 victory.
The Jutglà Masterclass
The first half was a total massacre. Celta’s Ferran Jutglà was operating on a different planet, tormenting the Alaves backline from the opening whistle. In the 19th minute, he opened the scoring after a slick pass from Javi Rodríguez. Eight minutes later, he turned provider, squaring a perfect ball for Hugo Álvarez to make it 2-0.
When Jutglà bagged his second and Celta’s third in the 37th minute—finishing off a beautiful team move involving Hugo Sotelo—the game looked dead and buried. The Balaídos was in party mode, and Alaves looked like a team destined for the drop.
The Lifeline and the Dice Roll
The turning point came in the dying seconds of the first half. Completely against the run of play, Toni Martínez poked home an Ángel Pérez cross to make it 3-1. It felt like a mere consolation at the time, but for Alaves manager Quique Sánchez Flores, it was the spark he needed.
Sánchez Flores didn’t hesitate at the break, making a triple substitution that completely altered the DNA of the game. Abderrahman Rebbach, Denis Suárez, and Ibrahim Diabaté entered the fray, and suddenly, Celta couldn’t cope with the intensity.
The Breathtaking Turnaround
The second half was pure, unadulterated chaos. In the 50th minute, Martínez turned provider, sliding a pass for Ángel Pérez to make it 3-2. The nerves in the stadium were suddenly audible. Celta tried to stabilize, but the momentum was a tidal wave.
The equalizer arrived in the 74th minute. Rebbach, a constant menace since coming on, slipped Toni Martínez through, and the striker made no mistake, drilling his second of the night into the bottom corner. But the ultimate heartbreak for the home fans was still to come. Just four minutes later, Victor Parada found Rebbach at the near post, and the substitute finished clinically to complete the 4-3 turnaround.
Celta threw everything forward in a desperate attempt to salvage a point—including bringing on Iago Aspas—but the Alaves defense, led by a rejuvenated Jon Pacheco, held firm.
This result moves Alaves three points clear of the relegation zone, while Celta are left to wonder how a afternoon of total dominance ended in such a spectacular collapse.
