Hugo 'Cholo' Sotil scored his first goal for Barcelona in a match that Celta Vigo won 2-1 at Balaídos on the second matchday of the 1973-74 La Liga season. The Peruvian fired home from outside the box after a left-wing move involving Carles Rexach, but goals from Doblas and a Juan Carlos own goal secured the points for the home side.
Barcelona coach Rinus Michels was left frustrated by the result. "The Barcelona public is surely angry and so am I, because I believed Barcelona was going to win this afternoon here," the Dutch manager said, also citing a possible offside in the build-up to Celta's opener. The local goalkeeper, Alarcia, was instrumental in preserving the lead.
That early Celta victory came in a historical context where the Blaugrana were awaiting the debut of Johan Cruyff, who watched the match from the bench. Special correspondent Carlos Pardo wrote of Sotil that "he did not do badly. This time Sotil, without being the star that was expected, left some good brushstrokes of skill and depth." The Peruvian, who passed away in December 2024, would later become one of the most beloved foreign players in Barcelona's history.
The memory of that triumph at Balaídos echoes today, with Celta Vigo sitting 11th in La Liga on seven points after seven games. The sky-blue team is coming off a 5-0 thrashing of Racing Santander, a result detailed in our stats section, and their next fixture is a trip to bottom-placed Elche on October 11. The full squad, which can be viewed on the squad page, is looking to build on a positive run after an inconsistent start to the campaign.
The report in full is at Mundo Deportivo
