Celta Vigo 2 - 1 Sporting de Gijon: Nolito strikes it lucky to fire Celta Vigo back into top four
Posted Sunday, November 29, 2015 by PA
Celta Vigo owed their return to the top four of the Primera Division with a 2-1 victory over Sporting Gijon to a huge slice of luck.
The Galician outfit's excellent start to the season was becoming a distant memory after losing three of their previous four games.
And lowly Sporting looked like causing further frustration after Carlos Castro Garcia had cancelled out Fabian Orellana's first-half effort.
But Barcelona target Nolito scored a fortunate winner six minutes from time when Sporting goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar's attempted clearance clattered off him and flew into an unguarded net.
Celta finished strongly and Nolito struck the crossbar just moments after grabbing his eighth goal of the season, but Sporting could count themselves unlucky after being the better team in the second period.
Substitute Castro Garcia equalised with his first touch after 65 minutes and came within inches of a second when he sent Juan Ramon Muniz's pass inches wide of the far post.
Sporting had also lost three of their previous four games and were lacking in confidence in a first half which saw Nolito pull the Celta strings and set up Orellana's 15th-minute opener.
Nolito picked out Theo Bongonda with a peach of a pass and the Belgian squared for Orellana to find the empty net.
Swedish striker John Guidetti might have doubled the lead but Cuellar held his firm shot at the base of a post.
Nolito then set up an inviting chance for Bongonda but he was unable to control his volley and fired over.
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