Celta clinches Europa League spot with 1-0 win at Sevilla

Celta Vigo secured a Europa League place on May 23 with a 1-0 home win over Sevilla in the final round of the LaLiga season. Ilaix Moriba scored the only goal at Balaidos early in the second half, giving Claudio Giraldez’s side the result it needed to finish sixth. Sevilla ended the campaign with a defeat and closed the round in 12th place. Neal Maupay was shown a yellow card in stoppage time as frustration spilled over late in the match. ### How did Celta secure the European place? Celta entered Saturday’s match knowing a draw would be enough to confirm a Europa League berth, and the home side went one better. Faro de Vigo reported that the win left Celta sixth on 54 points at the end of the league season, while EFE said the club qualified for the competition for a second straight year. (farodevigo.es) The 1-0 scoreline was enough because sixth place in the LaLiga table carried a Europa League spot, according to the standings published by ESPN’s league table page. Sevilla, by contrast, finished the round in 12th. ### What decided the match at Balaidos? Ilaix Moriba broke the deadlock in the 51st minute with a shot from outside the area that took a touch on its way in, according to Faro de Vigo’s match report. (farodevigo.es) EFE described the goal as coming at the start of the second half after Celta raised the tempo following the break. (espn.com) Celta created other chances after halftime. Faro de Vigo said Sergio Carreira hit the woodwork before Moriba’s goal, and EFE reported that Williot Swedberg later went close to adding a second as the hosts pushed for control of the match. ### What did Sevilla produce before and after the goal? (farodevigo.es) Sevilla’s clearest first-half chance fell to Alexis Sanchez in the 44th minute, when Celta goalkeeper Ionut Radu kept out a close-range effort, according to both Faro de Vigo and EFE. That chance came during a spell in which Sevilla had grown into the match after Celta’s brighter opening. (farodevigo.es) The second half brought more possession for Sevilla after falling behind, but not an equalizer. EFE said the visitors had more of the ball late on while never seriously threatening Celta’s win as the home side dropped deeper to protect the result. ### Where did Maupay fit into the finish? Neal Maupay came on as a second-half substitute for Alexis Sanchez, according to lineup and match-event listings. (farodevigo.es) Sky Sports’ live commentary showed Maupay was booked at 90+6 minutes, moments before the final whistle. (informacion.es) The booking capped a difficult finish for Sevilla, which had chased the game after Moriba’s goal without finding a breakthrough. Match-event listings also showed Maupay entered in the 64th minute as Luis Garcia Plaza turned to his bench in search of an equalizer. ### Who were the other notable figures on Celta’s night? Iago Aspas started for Celta after recently extending his contract by one year, Faro de Vigo reported, and the forward was applauded off when he was substituted in the second half. (myfootballfacts.com) Borja Iglesias, Fer Lopez and Javi Rueda were also among the home players involved in Celta’s better attacking phases. (skysports.com) Claudio Giraldez’s team closed the season with 54 points, one fewer than the previous campaign but in a higher finishing position, Faro de Vigo reported. EFE said the qualification sent Celta back into the Europa League for the second consecutive season. ### What comes next for both clubs? (farodevigo.es) UEFA will publish the access list, qualifying rounds and draw dates for the 2026-27 Europa League on its competition pages ahead of next season’s tournament. Celta’s sixth-place finish sends the club into that process, while Sevilla moves into the offseason after ending its league campaign in 12th place. (espn.com) (farodevigo.es)