Celta Vigo vs. Valencia: La Liga Clash Preview
Celta Vigo host Valencia on Friday evening as both sides look to bounce back from mixed opening-weekend results in La Liga. The Sky Blues secured a 2-1 victory over Alaves, while Los Che suffered a 2-1 defeat to Barcelona.
Match Preview
Celta are entering their 13th consecutive season in Spain's top flight and will be aiming for a first top-half finish since 2020-21. They got off to a positive start with their win over Alaves, but face a tricky test against Valencia.
Claudio Giraldez's side have been unable to defeat Valencia since September 2020, with Los Che winning five of their last seven meetings. However, their two clashes during the 2023-24 season ended in draws, suggesting a closely fought contest is likely.
Celta have made a number of additions this summer, including Unai Nunez on a permanent deal from Athletic Bilbao, as well as loan signings Borja Iglesias (Real Betis) and Ilaix Moriba (RB Leipzig). They will be seeking to improve on their home form, having won just six of their 19 league matches at BalaÃdos last season.
Valencia, meanwhile, will be looking to build on their performance against Barcelona, despite the defeat. Hugo Duro, last season's top scorer, opened the scoring with a header but the Catalan giants eventually turned the match around.
While Los Che showed promise, they still appear to be some distance from challenging for a Champions League spot, having finished outside the top six in their last two campaigns. Ruben Baraja's side will need to improve their away form, having lost 10 of their 19 away matches last season.
They have strengthened their squad this summer with the arrivals of Dani Gomez, Stole Dimitrievski, and Rafa Mir, and there is potential for further incomings before the transfer window closes. The club's goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili is attracting interest from Liverpool, who may take him on loan for the remainder of the season.
Team News
Giraldez is expected to make changes to his starting lineup after the Alaves win, with Williot Swedberg, who scored off the bench, set to start. Javi Rodriguez, who also came on as a substitute, is likely to be included, with Borja Iglesias potentially making an appearance in the final third. Iago Aspas, who scored Celta's second goal against Alaves, is expected to lead the line alongside Jonathan Bamba.
Luca de la Torre and Vicente Guaita remain doubts due to injury.
Valencia are set to be without a number of players due to injuries, including Sergi Canos, Jose Gaya, Jaume Domenech, Fran Perez, and Mouctar Diakhaby.
Baraja is unlikely to make significant changes to his starting eleven after the Barcelona game. Andre Almeida is expected to continue his partnership with Duro in attack, while Rafa Mir is likely to feature on the wing. The impressive centre-backs Cristhian Mosquera and Yarek Gasiorowski are also expected to start.
Possible Starting Lineups:
Celta Vigo: Villar; J Rodriguez, U Garcia, Dominguez, Mingueza; Alvarez, D Rodriguez, Swedberg; Aspas, Iglesias, Bamba
Valencia: Mamardashvili; Correia, Mosquera, Gasiorowski, Vazquez; Mir, Pepelu, Guerra, D Lopez; Almeida; Duro
Prediction:
Both league encounters between these teams last season ended in draws, and a similar outcome seems likely this time around. Celta will be buoyed by their home victory in the opening round, but Valencia are capable of avoiding a second consecutive defeat.
Sports Mole predicts: Celta Vigo 1-1 Valencia
