Lewandowski's hat-trick inspires Barcelona's 4-2 win against Celta Vigo and narrows gap to Real Madrid

Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick as Barcelona defeated Celta Vigo 4-2 in Sundays La Liga clash, reducing Real Madrids lead to just three points.

The experienced Polish forwards three goals enabled Hansi Flicks team to take advantage of Madrids earlier 0-0 stalemate against Rayo Vallecano.

Youngster Lamine Yamal also netted for Barcelona in yet another thrilling encounter shaped by the title holders bold offensive strategy, with Marcus Rashford contributing two assists.

Frenkie de Jong received a late red card for Barcelona after picking up two bookings, though by that stage the winners had already clinched the points to climb into second place.

"Matches against Vigo are tough for us, but now the points gap with Real Madrid is smaller," Lewandowski said to Movistar.

"We managed the game better after the break, though Celta found the net too easily in the opening period. We discussed improvements at halftime."

Flick maintained that Barcelona would stick to their philosophy despite recent challenges, such as Wednesdays 3-3 draw with Club Brugge in the Champions League, resulting in a chaotic opening 45 minutes.

The title contenders took the lead via a Lewandowski spot-kick on 10 minutes following Marcos Alonsos handball on Fermin Lopezs effort, yet Celta levelled immediately afterwards.

Rashford squandered a clear chance after Lopez played him in, allowing Celta to counter and find the net.

The visitors exploited Barcelonas advanced backline, with Sergio Carreira racing clear and calmly finishing past Wojciech Szczesny.

Missing key figures like Pedri, Raphinha, and Joan Garcia due to injury, Flick urged his squad to step up in their place, and they appeared revitalised at Balaidos.

Ilaix Moriba stopped Lopezs attempt, Rashford struck the rebound off the upright, and Celta keeper Ionut Radu thwarted Lewandowski up close on the follow-up.

Returning to top form, Lewandowski claimed his second with a tap-in from Rashfords precise delivery to restore Barcelonas advantage on 37 minutes. The effort evaded Radu, who could have performed better.

Celta responded swiftly once more, as Borja Iglesias unleashed a fierce drive from outside the area that sailed over Szczesny two minutes shy of halftime.

Nevertheless, Barcelona held the edge at the interval after Rashfords wayward cross took a deflection to reach teenage talent Yamal, who slotted past Radu at the near post.

Calmer proceedings

The second half saw both sides adopt a more composed approach, generating fewer opportunities than the frenetic first half.

Barcelona controlled possession while Celta, playing from behind, adopted a defensive posture.

Lewandowski sealed his treble with a header from Rashfords corner on 73 minutes, extending his sides buffer to two goals.

This marked the forwards seventh league strike this term across only four outings, proving his predatory instinct remains sharp at 37 following a disrupted beginning due to injury.

On loan from Manchester United, Rashford has stepped in for the sidelined Raphinha, registering seven assists in La Liga.

Yamal burst forward late and nearly added a fifth for Barcelona, but his angled effort struck the post after rounding Radu.

In a downside for the Catalans, de Jong was ejected during added time for a second caution after stepping on Iago Aspas ankle.

This success ended a sequence of merely two away triumphs in Barcelonas previous 10 league visits to Balaidos, providing Flick and his charges with momentum ahead of the international window.

"We get two weeks to recharge, but I want us to return sharper. This is an ideal time to fix whats not clicking," Lewandowski remarked.

"Flick checked if I wanted a break, and I declined. I felt strong today and am delighted."