Neymar reduced the deficit in the second half before John Guidetti – released by Manchester City in June – thumped home the hosts’ fourth late on.

​”This game goes to show just how difficult La Liga is,” Barca coach Enrique said afterwards, as quoted by ​Sky Sports.

“What decided this game is how well Celta played. It was highly effective football from them. It was very good.

“We tried to create problems, but we suffered a lot in one-on-one situations. When a team has played better than you, then there is nothing much that you can say.

“I’d rather lose to a team that plays like Celta did today, without any tricks, purely winning through their football. I congratulate them and hope they can carry on playing like that.”

Barca created numerous chances themselves but often found goalkeeper Sergio Alvarez – and on one occasion, the post – blocking their path.

“In terms of intensity, we did well,” Enrique added. “We had six or seven chances to score. The problem is that in the first games of this season we have been struggling to turn those chances into goals.”

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