Celta's away day magic finally runs dry after 119-day unbeaten streak
Celta Vigo's impressive away form in La Liga came to an abrupt halt against Real Sociedad, ending a run stretching back to September despite playing against 10 men.
Celta Vigo’s remarkable 119-day unbeaten away run in La Liga came crashing down at Real Sociedad, despite playing against 10 men for a significant portion of the match.
End of the Road Trip Dream
The Galicians hadn’t tasted defeat on their travels since September 28th at Elche - a stunning run that saw them rack up five wins and a draw away from Balaídos. They’d also been perfect in 2026 until this point, making the loss all the more disappointing for Claudio Giráldez’s men.
Despite Borja Iglesias notching his eighth league goal of the campaign (and 12th in all competitions) to level the match, Celta couldn’t capitalize on their numerical advantage as La Real somehow snatched all three points.
Heavy Rotation Backfires
Giráldez made a whopping seven changes to his starting XI following their European exploits against Lille. Only four players kept their places:
- Radu
- Starfelt
- Marcos Alonso
- Hugo Sotelo
The gamble didn’t pay off as Celta looked disjointed, with the manager later citing the slippery pitch conditions as a factor in their performance.
What’s Next?
The Sky Blues won’t have much time to dwell on this setback. They face a quick turnaround with:
- A European trip to Belgrade
- A tricky away fixture at Getafe next Sunday
For a team that had been in such sterling form, this defeat serves as a timely reminder of how competitive La Liga remains. As one Celta player noted after the match, “These are the moments that make you grow” - a proper case of character building after their bubble was finally burst.
The squad will need to quickly dust themselves off and refocus if they want to maintain their impressive position in both domestic and European competitions.