Celta Vigo endured a painful 2-1 home defeat to Osasuna on Thursday, a result that turned on the red card shown to defender Marcos Alonso early in the second half. Claudio Giráldez's side were in control and leading through an Iago Aspas goal, but everything collapsed during twelve disastrous minutes.
The key incident happened right after half-time. In a challenge for a loose ball, Marcos Alonso went in on Iker Muñoz in a tackle that referee José Luis Sesma López initially deemed a yellow card offense. After a VAR review, the card was upgraded to red. It was the first foul Celta had committed in the entire match, yet it proved catastrophic. The experienced full-back, who had started solidly, left his team with ten men for the entire second period.
The team now sits in fourteenth place in the LaLiga standings after this home stumble. Alonso's dismissal forced an immediate change, with Carl Starfelt replacing Iago Aspas to shore up the defense, but the reaction was inadequate.
The response to the sending-off was poor. From the first ball into the Celta area after the red card, Kike Barja beat Javier Rueda to level the score. Soon after, the referee awarded a penalty for a handball by Javi Galán following a corner. Ante Budimir made no mistake from the spot. In just twelve minutes, a controlled match became a comeback for the visitors.
Claudio Giráldez tried to react with multiple substitutions, bringing on Hugo Álvarez, Jonathan Jones, Carreira and later Ferran Jutglá. However, Celta, who had already struggled to create clear chances with eleven, failed to seriously trouble goalkeeper Sergio Herrera. The defeat confirms the team's historically difficult relationship with the month of August, where poor results have piled up.
Before the collapse, the team had shown notable control. Iago Aspas scored a high-quality goal in the first half, shaking off a defender with a feint and firing a low, crossed shot into the far corner. Central midfielder Miguel Román, alongside Ilaix Moriba, provided solidity in the engine room. Despite this, the team found it hard to create width, with Williot Swedberg lacking impact and limited connection between Galán and the Swedish winger.
Celta kept a clean sheet in the first half thanks to secure interventions from goalkeeper Andrei Radu. Season data, available in our stats section, shows the defense had been a strong point in the early matchdays, but this time it collapsed under pressure.
The immediate focus is on mental and tactical recovery. The team cannot afford to carry this defeat forward. The next fixture on the schedule is an away trip to face Real Betis next Sunday, September 6th. Claudio Giráldez will have to cope with the suspension of Marcos Alonso for that match, likely opening an opportunity at left-back.
