Luca Before You Leap: de la Torre at Celta Vigo

Rep for getting me to think of Zak Whitbread for the first time in God knows how long.

 

I do a lot of reflecting on Gold Cup winner Frankie Simek, so I'm happy to have helped.

 

👀 Here's how @delatorreluca got close to Lunin's goal#RealMadridCelta ⋄ #LALIGAHighlights pic.twitter.com/ANDITZEr0m

— RC Celta English (@RCCeltaEN) March 10, 2024

Down 1-0 in the 65th.

 

New manager incoming for LDLT. Benitez has been sacked according to The Athletic.

 

Out with an injury:

❗️@RCCelta has announced Luca de la Torre has not been called up for the match against Sevilla due to discomfort in his left thigh. pic.twitter.com/dwCu09S4Rf

— USMNT Otaku 🇺🇸 (@USMNTOtaku) March 16, 2024

 

Bummer for him

 

Uh-Oh

 

Thigh awareness

 

What? Did he ask his teammates what they thought of his thighs?

 

Throwback to Lampard explaining that Pulisic wasn't in the squad as he was experiencing an awareness of his hamstring. Or, something like that.

 

Huge second-half comeback away at Sevilla in Luca's absence. Down 1-0 until the 72nd, goals from Perez and Larsen give Celta Vigo a 2-1 win.

That moves them 5 points clear of the bottom 3 with 9 matches left.

 

Back to fitness:

🙌🔙 ¡Doble 𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗔 en el parte!

✅ Carlos Dotor y @delatorreluca estarán disponibles para el #RealBetisCelta de mañana.

⋄ #ClínicaRCCelta ⋄ pic.twitter.com/NeQuYo3Srl

— RC Celta (@RCCelta) April 11, 2024

 

And in a twist worthy of O. Henry, he's not included in the squad:

👥 A nosa 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀 no regreso de @LaLiga #RealBetisCelta pic.twitter.com/21uYqBqEU4

— RC Celta (@RCCelta) April 11, 2024

 

Not fit enough yet:

Speaking in his pre-match press conference a short time ago, Claudio Giráldez confirmed that all of Luca de la Torre, Carlos Dotor and Renato Tapia have been ruled out against Betis.

The former pair returned to training alongside the rest of the Celestes’ squad this week, but have not yet been approved for matchday duties.​

 

Bummer! I was looking forward to yank-on-yank violence this afternoon

 

On the bench as Celta hosts Las Palmas. Celta down early 0-1.

 

Just tuned in, 91:44, Celta Vigo up 4-1

 

Entered in the 76th:

🔄 Dobre troco by @GrupoRecalvi

🔺 Manquillo e Luca
🔻 Fran Beltrán e Iago Aspas

76' ⋄ 4-1 ⋄ #CeltaLasPalmas pic.twitter.com/YhTtSvst5W

— RC Celta (@RCCelta) April 20, 2024

Kept their 4-1 win intact.

 

While not great for Luca personally to work his way back into the lineup after his injury, that was a huge and dominating win for Celta today to keep a nice cushion above the last relegation spot.

Glad he got some time on the field again, at least.

 

Playing against Villarreal right now. Up 2-1 around the 60th minute and Luca just put a clean up shot from the top of the box off the post.

 

Cadiz get an injury time winner which suddenly puts a lot more pressure on Celta Vigo to get a result today.

Luca on the bench to start todays La Liga match.

 

Luca DNP, but ... Hugo Alvarez has an epic second half, with a goal and an assist in four minutes, to drive a 2-1 comeback win that puts Celta 5 points up on Cadiz with two to play. Huge step toward staying up.

 

And Celta win at home, 5 points clear of relegation spot with 2 games to play.
Away to already-relegated Granada next.

 

Wow. What a big result for Vigo. I checked and saw it was 0-1 at halftime and feared the worst. Happy to read they pulled it out.

 

Starts

📋✅ O noso 𝗫𝗜 🆚 @GranadaCF!#GranadaCelta ⋄ #LALIGAEASPORTS pic.twitter.com/AmXP4vdslR

— RC Celta (@RCCelta) May 19, 2024