Athletic Club and Celta Vigo shared the spoils in a competitive La Liga encounter at San Mamés, with early brilliance from Williot Swedberg canceled out by Iñigo Williams' second-half strike.
Athletic Club welcomed Celta Vigo to Estadio de San Mamés on May 17 seeking to climb the La Liga table. The hosts occupied ninth place with 44 points, while visitors Celta arrived in sixth with 50 points. Both teams needed a result to maintain their playoff hopes in a tight mid-table battle.
Celta struck first with stunning speed. Just four minutes into the match, Williot Swedberg latched onto a loose ball and fired past the Athletic defense. The away side's early aggression caught the home team off guard. Swedberg's clinical finish gave Celta an unexpected advantage.
Athletic responded by dominating possession. The hosts controlled 58 percent of the ball and pressed high up the pitch. However, Celta's defense held firm through the opening period. Athletic created chances but lacked the final touch to convert them into goals.
Yellow cards punctuated the first half. Javier Rueda received a booking for Celta in the tenth minute. Yuri Berchiche saw yellow for Athletic in the 38th minute. The referee maintained control of an increasingly competitive encounter.
Ionuț Radu picked up a yellow card in the 42nd minute as Celta grew frustrated with Athletic's attacking pressure. The visitors' goalkeeper made several important saves to preserve their lead heading into the break.
Athletic emerged with renewed intensity after halftime. The home side pushed forward immediately, seeking an equalizer. Their persistence paid off in the 52nd minute when Iñigo Williams found the net. The goal energized San Mamés and shifted momentum back toward the hosts.
Both teams had chances to win the match in the second half. Athletic fired 25 total shots but managed only nine on target. Celta's goalkeeper Radu made eight crucial saves. Andoni Laporte collected a yellow card in the 68th minute during Athletic's relentless assault.
The statistics told a story of Athletic dominance without reward. The hosts accumulated 437 accurate passes from 517 attempts, showing 85 percent accuracy. Expected goals favored Athletic at 2.46 compared to Celta's 0.15. Yet the scoreline remained level.
Yuri Berchiche earned the highest individual rating with a 9.0 score. The left-back created three key passes and provided an assist despite receiving a yellow card. Radu's eight saves kept Celta in the contest. Swedberg's early goal proved decisive in earning his side a point.
The draw left Athletic in ninth place with 44 points from 36 matches. Celta remained sixth with 50 points, maintaining their advantage. Both teams will hope to find consistency as the season reaches its conclusion. The result represents a missed opportunity for Athletic to climb higher.
