Pre-season match recap: Southampton 3-2 Celta Vigo
By Marc Walker
Southampton completed an impressive turnaround as they came from two-nil down to beat La Liga side Celta Vigo 3-2 in their fifth pre-season friendly.
After a fairly lacklustre first-half and poor defending contributing to the two Celta goals, Mark Hughes and his Southampton side would eventually triumph thanks to an improved display in the second period and strikes from Charlie Austin, Stuart Armstrong and Mohamed Elyounoussi.
Saints fans would get a glimpse of summer additions Armstrong and Jannik Vestergaard from the start as Mark Hughes set his team up in the 3-4-2-1 system that has become so familiar under his management.
It was Saints that would have the first chance of the match in the sixth minute. A nice move involving both Vestergaard and Armstrong saw Ryan Bertrand produce a lovely cross to Sam McQueen at the back post, but he couldn’t direct his header on target.
However, it was Celta Vigo who took the lead just four minutes later. Tricky winger Pione Sisto received the ball and cut inside Jan Bednarek before unleashing a wonderful curling effort inside the far post.
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Saint were still looking bright after a decent start though, and Manolo Gabbiadini low effort from long-range had Celta keeper Sergio Alvarez scrambling across his goal.
Midway through the first period, Shane Long went inches away from pulling Mark Hughes’ side level. A loose ball ran into his path and he connected perfectly with a first time strike, but the ball cannoned back off the crossbar.
With their second real chance, Celta doubled their lead shortly before half-time. Long gave the ball away poorly and Spanish international striker Iago Aspas was left to beat Bednarek and slam in at Alex McCarthy’s near post.
Four changes came at the beginning of the second-half, with Charlie Austin, Matt Targett, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Angus Gunn all coming on, and it didn’t take long for two of those players to combine and get Saints back in the game.
Targett was playing as the Right Wing-Back, but this unnatural position didn’t seem to affect him. His right footed cross was perfect for Austin to steal in front of his man and head into the bottom corner.
Remarkably, it was all square just five minutes later and Targett was provider again. He slid a pass into the path of Stuart Armstrong who had made a clever run into the area, and he rolled the ball across Alvarez and in.
That proved to be the Scottish international’s last involvement and he had certainly impressed in his first match at St Mary’s with some intelligent and dangerous attacking play.
It was a very good response from Saints who had defended poorly for the two conceded goals but were now looking hungry and dangerous going forward.
Angus Gunn was then forced into action with a smart stop at his near post, and this would help his side to complete a notable turnaround as fellow summer signing Mohamed Elyounoussi claimed the winner.
James Ward-Prowse drove forward from midfield and hit the post with a low strike, but the Moroccan winger was on hand to tap into the empty net for his first goal in England.