CORNELLÀ DE LLOBREGAT, Spain (Interstat) — A dramatic stoppage-time equalizer from substitute Borja Iglesias salvaged a 2-2 draw for Espanyol against Celta Vigo in a back-and-forth La Liga match Saturday at RCDE Stadium.

The contest, which saw both teams trade leads in the final half-hour, ultimately ended level, leaving each side with their first point of the 2025-2026 league campaign. The result also extended both clubs’ winless starts across all competitions this season.

Celta Vigo, which entered the match with a slight statistical edge according to predictive models, nearly secured all three points after a late go-ahead goal. However, Espanyol’s resilience in the dying moments forced a share of the spoils in front of the home supporters on Valentine’s Day.

The game’s opening goal came from an unexpected source. Espanyol’s Ferran Jutglà, introduced as a substitute in the first half, made an immediate impact by breaking the deadlock in the 38th minute. His contribution gave the home side a lead they would carry into the halftime interval.

The visitors responded in the second half, finding an equalizer in the 66th minute. Forward Kike García leveled the score for Celta Vigo, capitalizing on the momentum shift and setting the stage for a tense finale.

Celta Vigo then appeared to have secured a late victory when midfielder Tyrhys Dolan found the net in the 86th minute, putting the visitors ahead 2-1. The goal came just as Espanyol was pushing forward in search of a winner, leaving the home side facing a potential opening-day defeat.

Yet, in a dramatic twist deep into added time, Espanyol found its reply. In the third minute of stoppage time, another substitute, Borja Iglesias, scored to pull the hosts level at 2-2. The assist on the crucial goal was credited to defender Leandro Cabrera. Cabrera’s involvement in the celebration was quickly tempered, however, as he received a yellow card in the 94th minute following the restart of play.

The final score defied the pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had predicted a 1-1 draw. The firm’s ELO rating system had given Celta Vigo a 54.40 percent probability of winning the match outright, a forecast the visitors came close to fulfilling before Iglesias’s late intervention.

With the draw, both Espanyol and Celta Vigo see their early-season records mirror one another. Each team now holds a record of zero wins, zero losses and one draw in La Liga play, with identical marks across all competitions. The match provided early drama in the league season, showcasing the narrow margins that often decide outcomes in Spain’s top division.