First Team 27 Aug 2026

Osasuna rallies to defeat Celta, 2-1

Midfielder Kike Barja and forward Ante Budimir lead Los Rojillos to three points

Club Atlético Osasuna (1-1-0, 4 points) rallied from behind to earn its first win of the season, defeating Real Club Celta (0-1-1, 1 point) 2-1 at Abanca Balaídos on Thursday night. Forward Iago Aspas gave the home side the lead in the first half. Six minutes into the second half, Los Rojillos gained a one-player advantage after defender Marcos Alonso was ejected for a foul on midfielder Iker Muñoz. Three minutes later, midfielder Kike Barja tied the match, setting up forward Ante Budimir to secure the victory.

Celta controlled early possession and kept Osasuna away from its box. In the 14th minute, Celta won the ball in midfield and advanced into the final third. Aspas received a pass and scored from 18 yards. The goal helped Celta maintain possession, but Osasuna did not give up and began pressing the opposition.

After halftime, the match shifted. In the 51st minute, Alonso fouled Muñoz and, after initially receiving a yellow card, was shown a red card following video review. With a one-player advantage, Osasuna took control and equalized almost immediately. In the 54th minute, forward Jonathan Dubasin crossed from the right flank. Forward Raúl García headed the ball back to Barja at the far post, who beat a defender and fired past goalkeeper Iont Radu.

With the score tied, the visitors began to dominate and took the lead. In the 63rd minute, Budimir drew a penalty after his shot struck defender Javi Galán’s hand. The Croatian international converted from the spot. With the lead, Los Rojillos continued to press until the final minutes, when Celta searched for an equalizer. Budimir nearly extended the lead, but his shot was cleared off the line by defender Sergio Carreira.

Osasuna will face Getafe on Monday, Aug. 31, at El Sadar in Week 3 of LaLiga EA Sports. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CET (6:30 p.m. BST, 1:30 p.m. ET).

Latest news See all