Celta Vigo produced a consummate display of counter-attacking football to dispatch champions Barcelona in stunning style.
Barca had their chances but couldn’t match Celta’s clinical performance and the acres of space left to the home side’s attackers should be a great concern to Luis Enrique.
Nolito opened the scoring after a cross from the right found him in space to the left of the penalty area and he set himself before sending the ball over Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and in off the far post.
It was two almost immediately when Gerard Pique got into a muddle on the half-way line and Iago Aspas ran free, the former Liverpool forward chipping the goalkeeper.
Aspas took the ground route for his second, Celta’s third, racing away after Celta cleared a corner and too easily beating Dani Alves on half-way, beating Ter Stegen again.
Neymar gave Barca a glimmer of hope but it was extinguished when John Guidetti hammered home from close range after Hugo Mallo’s cross.
Celta’s attacking will take the plaudits and understandably so but goalkeeper Sergio Alvarez deserves credit for a series of fine stops, both with the game in the balance and with the outcome settled.
Pique returned to the Barca XI after suspension but Jordi Alba missed out with neck pain, while Celta made one change, introducing Nemanja Radoja for Pablo Hernandez.
Celta had the first opening when Aspas got behind the Barca defence but failed to make a real decision, smashing across goal too hard for Fabian Orellana to reach but wayward of Ter Stegen’s goal.
Aspas’ chance was a portent for the opening period as Celta kept up the pressure, barely letting Barca out their own half and forcing Pique into some last-ditch blocks.
Celta got a warning of the need to make the most of their strong start when Lionel Messi’s first involvement draw a stinging save from Alvarez.
A second red flag arrived when Messi teed up Neymar but the shot was straight at Sergio, Barca getting more into the game.
But Celta didn’t feel Barca’s backlash as Nolito produced a bit of magic, although Ter Stegen might feel in retrospect he should have reached the curling effort.
The German was given little chance by Aspas minutes later, the problem occurring some distance away when Pique switched off and his pass hit Nolito, allowing Aspas to run clear.
Barca tried to get back into the game when Neymar, Messi and Andres Iniesta combined to free the Brazil international from a short corner, but Augusto Fernandez snuffed out the shot.
Neymar had the first shot of the second half but it was high and wide, Aspas going closer when he again got behind the Barca defence. Pique put on enough pressure to force the shot wide.
No one got near Iniesta as he danced through the Celta defence and found Messi, but his clipped shot hit the post and bounced to safety. Pique shortly after sent a good header only just over the crossbar.
Just as Barca really upped the tempo it all came crumbling down, Nolito releasing Aspas after Celta cleared a corner and the local favourite producing another cool finish.
Nolito chose to shoot rather than square for Aspas as Barca were eviscerated on the counter-attack time and again, getting away with conceding a fourth goal this time.
Indeed it was Barca next on the score sheet, Neymar raining a little on the Celta parade with a goal in the 80th minute, but it was cancelled out by Guidetti almost right away as Celta sealed a famous victory.
Celta Vigo 4-1 Barcelona
Nolito 26, Aspas 30, 56 (CV), Neymar 80 (FCB), Guidetti 83 (CV)
Celta Vigo: Sergio; Mallo, Sergi Gomez, Cabral, Jonny; Radoja (Hernandez 76), Augusto, Wass (Planas 84); Orellana, Aspas (Guidetti 78), Nolito
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Mathieu; Busquets (Rakitic 67), Sergi Roberto (Munir 57), Iniesta; Messi, Suarez, Neymar
Referee: Undiano Mallenco
