Celta Vigo ran riot in a friendly against Sassuolo on Tuesday evening, securing a 4:1 victory at the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia. The Spanish side took control early through Iago Aspas, who struck in the twenty-first minute to give them an advantage they would not surrender. Sassuolo pulled one back through Diego Bakola before half-time, but the match turned in the final quarter when the hosts were reduced to ten men.
By then the rhythm had shifted entirely. After Aitor Lauriente's dismissal in the seventy-sixth minute, Celta seized their chance. Héctor González completed a hat-trick with three goals in four minutes, hitting first in the eighty-third, then again in the eighty-fifth, and closing the scoring in the eighty-seventh. The visitors stretched the back line until there was nothing left for Sassuolo to defend.
The statistics tell a curious story. Both sides registered identical possession at fifty per cent, with Sassuolo edging attacks 78 to 75 and Celta claiming more corners 7 to 2. And here's the thing — you do not need more shots to score more goals when you are clinical. Celta handed in fewer throw-ins and fewer free-kicks, yet their efficiency on the break proved decisive.
To be fair, this was a friendly and the context matters. Sassuolo have struggled for momentum, drawing two and losing two of their last five matches, while Celta showed greater consistency with two wins and two draws in the same period. The scoreline reflects that difference, even if the numbers on paper suggest a closer contest.
