In the wake of Celta Vigo’s scintillating 4-1 victory over Barcelona (the only loss suffered by the Catalan side in their previous 25 matches in La Liga), much of the soccer-viewing public has been scrambling to find out exactly what happened.

Are Celta really that good? Or is this simply a product of injury-plagued Barcelona team that have already conceded four goals on three occasions this season. Truthfully, it’s likely a combination of both, but simply attributing Celta’s electric performance to Barca’s frailties would be doing the Galician side a massive disservice. Celta have been at it for a while.

No buses allowed

It’s no secret that Barcelona’s defensive performances this season haven’t exactly set the world alight, but there was a distinct difference between what happened earlier this season and what occurred at the Balaídos last night.

When Athletic Club romped to a 4-0 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of the Supercopa, they did so by aggressively pressing just outside the box while depending on some opportunistic finishing from the ageless Artiz Aduriz. Bilbao didn’t attempt to outplay Barcelona — they only notched 30% possession — but to frustrate them. Celta on the other hand had 44% of the ball last night, but even that doesn’t tell the entire story; they were relentless in attack from the onset, putting Barca on the back foot early in the match.

Top of the table and flying high, it’s been an incredible start so far, Celta’s only dropped points coming in an enthralling 3-3 draw with Las Palmas, a game in which they squandered a 3-1 lead. Ironically much of Celta’s success this campaign can actually be traced back to man they beat yesterday.

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Enrique’s impact

In the post-mortem, Luis Enrique has been quick to heap praise on his former side:

“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.”

Enrique isn’t merely an opportunistic admirer, either; in many ways, the Barcelona coach was essentially the architect of what occurred last night.

Prior to the match Enrique made his admiration of the club well known, calling Celta one of the most exciting teams in all of Europe.

“If you want to enjoy yourself, you should watch their games,” he said.

While its unclear how much he enjoyed himself yesterday as La Masia graduates Nolito and Sergi Gomez bewildered his star-studded Barcelona, Enrique’s impact on Celta can’t be understated. His brief time at the helm in Vigo would be a mutually beneficial experience that chartered the course for both his career and the club’s immediate future.

In 2013, a year removed from a short, failed debut with Roma, Enrique was able to stabilize to a club that had previously spent much of the previous 10 years fluctuating between the top two divisions. In his only season with the club, Enrique lead Celta to their first top 10 finish in a decade.

However, Lucho’s true masterstroke would be the signing of Nolito, then simply regarded of a journeyman attacker with no real bite to his game. Enrique had previously worked with Nolito at Barca B and undoubtedly had insight into how to make him most effective. Nolito dazzled that season, scoring 14 goals among countless other unquantifiable contributions to Celta’s revival as they finished ninth in the table.

A team in harmony

But yesterday Enrique could only watch as his successor, former Argentine defender Eduardo Berizzo, celebrated gleefully on the sidelines. Berizzo’s Celta largely mimics Enrique’s; the former Argentine defender has built off the same principles of high pressing, quick movements and retaining possession. Their philosophy was on full display at the weekend during at Sevilla side, a first half blitz giving Celta a two-goal lead en route to a 2-1 win at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

Os Celestes move up the pitch as if all 11 players are somehow linked to the same brain. It’s oddly harmonious, the way they move together in unison, perfectly finding the nooks and crannies in their opposition’s defense. Every first touch is laced with purpose; every dummy, juke, shift and feint is part of the overall plan. They emit self-determination at every juncture. The combination of Hugo Mallo and Jonny Castro is one of the more impressive combinations in a country that has no shortage of brilliant fullbacks.

In addition, two summer singings — one the return of local hero and the other a replacement for an adopted one — have already made major contributions this season.

After his move to Seville, some pundits wondered how Celta would replace the work rate of long-time stalwart Michael Khron-Dehli. Coincidentally it would be his Danish compatriot, 26-year-old Daniel Wass, who would emerge as a younger, fresher alternative. Wass has hit the ground running in La Liga, already scoring two goals this season. The versatile Dane has found his position in the center of midfield, but he can also play on the wings and in both fullback positions if needed. He’s also a deadball expert, a skill he’s yet to showcase in La Liga.

The return of a prodigal son has been well received as well. Iago Aspas, maligned in Liverpool and ridiculed for a corner kick gaff, has been superb. As soccer fans, we have a nasty habit of associating one’s performance to nothing but his perceived talent level, yet time and time again it’s proven that so many other factors off the pitch contribute to the showings on it. Aspas was an outcast at Liverpool in a country where he didn’t speak the language and struggled to fit in. At Celta, he is a local hero, and that confidence showed last night as the forward capitalized repeatedly on Barcelona’s high defensive line, notching two sublime finishes after running the entire length of the half.

Perhaps Berizzo’s simplicity summed it up best after the match: “Aspas is lethal to the goalkeeper.”

Celta’s other standouts include the South American midfield connection of Argentine Agusto Fernandez, who plays the role of cleanup in the midfield, and Chilean Pablo Hernandez, who links up with the attack. In front another Chilean, the pacy and skillful Fabián Orellana, he routinely causes problems for opposing defenses.

Magnificent Nolito

And of course, any conversation about Celta must end with their orchestrator, Nolito. Along with Atletico’s Antoine Grizemann, he’s been the most impressive player in La Liga so far. With five goals in as many matches, he’s currently tied in the Pichichi race with the Real Madrid duo of Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, but goals alone hardly tell the story of his effect on the pitch.

Nolito is a talisman in every sense of the word. When he has the ball at his feet, every other Celta player is elevated to a higher level. He was mercurial yesterday, not only scoring this stunner but showcasing his tenacity for his team’s second, and his vision for its third.

Nolito, of course, has been heavily linked with a move back to Barcelona to replace the departed Pedro. He’s reiterated time and time again that he’s happy at Celta, even rejecting offers from abroad in recent years. But Barcelona doesn’t come around often, and when January hits all bets, are off as to whether or not he trades in the Balaídos for the theater (and the trophies) of the Camp Nou.

As for Celta’s long-term chances, it’s a team perfectly constructed for the here and now. Most of their important players are right in the middle of their athletic primes, a maturity that shows in their performances.

The squad is admittedly thin, and the quality drops off severely on the bench. Like last season, they will be affected heavily by fatigue as the campaign goes on, but this Celta team perfectly embodies living in the moment. There’s no reason to stop now.