Celta Vigo 0-2 Athletic Club: Berenguer and Navarro seal first LaLiga win for visitors

Athletic Club earned their first LaLiga win of the season with a controlled 2-0 victory away to Celta Vigo, settling the match with two first-half goals in three minutes at Balaídos.

Álex Berenguer opened the scoring in the 20th minute, finishing with the composure Athletic had lacked in their opening two league defeats. Before Celta could recover, Robert Navarro doubled the lead two minutes later after good work involving Iñaki Williams and Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta, giving the visitors the kind of early cushion they had badly needed.

The decisive spell reflected Athletic’s best phase of the match. Edin Terzic’s side pressed high, disrupted Celta’s build-up and attacked with more clarity than a team starting the day without a point. Sancet found better rhythm between the lines, Galarreta gave Athletic control in midfield and Navarro, starting from the right, added the directness that turned pressure into a second goal.

Celta’s problem was not only the scoreline but the way the first half slipped away. Claudio Giráldez’s team struggled to impose their usual structure, with Athletic’s pressure forcing rushed decisions and preventing the home side from building enough sustained possession around the final third.

Giráldez tried to change the tone after the interval, sending on Iago Aspas as Celta looked for more authority in attack. The hosts improved territorially and carried more of the ball, but the response rarely became a serious test of Athletic’s defensive organisation.

Athletic managed the second half with the advantage of a team that had done its hardest work early. Unai Simón remained secure when required, while the back line avoided the kind of late collapse that would have deepened the uncertainty around a difficult start to the campaign.

For Celta, the defeat extends a worrying opening to the season. They remain without a win after three matches and again looked short of fluency in the areas where Giráldez’s side had been strongest in previous campaigns.

For Athletic, the result changes the mood. After two defeats and growing pressure around both performance and club issues off the pitch, a clean sheet and away win give Terzic a first solid base to build from. The victory was not built on volume or chaos, but on a sharp opening spell and a disciplined refusal to let Celta back into the game.