Celta Vigo vs Real Madrid
Real Madrid are making a run at the top spot of the La Liga standings. Carlo Ancelotti’s men are in second place with 21 points, and they’re trailing by three points against table leaders Barcelona.
This is why their upcoming visit to the Estadio de Balaidos to take on Celta Vigo is important. A win here could see Real Madrid level with Barcelona, especially if the Blaugrana somehow lose against Sevilla on Sunday.
Beating Celta Vigo may not be a walk in the park for Real Madrid this time, since Os Celestes are punching above their weight under manager Claudio Giraldez. Celta Vigo have already bested their 13th-place finish last term because they’re now the ninth seed, and they plan to keep it that way.
Talking Points
Celta Vigo face lineup woes
Celta Vigo decided to hand Claudio Giraldez a new two-year extension, and he deserves it.
The 36-year-old took the head coaching reins in mid-March to replace Rafa Benitez. Under his guidance, Celta Vigo produced important wins over the likes of Valencia, Sevilla, and Athletic Bilbao.
This season, Celta Vigo have had a relatively strong start. Besides occupying the ninth spot, they are also the fourth-most prolific side in the final third, with 16 league goals this season.
Iago Aspas and Borja Iglesias are leading up front with four goals apiece, while centre-back Oscar Mingueza is the surprise second-leading scorer with two goals. However, one of them won’t be available this weekend, as Aspas was sent off during their 1-0 victory over Las Palmas last time out.
Defencive midfielder Ilaix Moriba also suffered the same fate as Iago Aspas. Celta Vigo recently made an appeal for the former RB Leipzig man, but they haven’t heard anything yet from the Appeals Committee, as per the La Liga 2024 updates.
If it is fully confirmed that both Aspas and Moriba are banned, Pablo Duran and Franco Cervi should feature in Giraldez’s starting XI.
Luca de la Torre, Jonathan Bamba, and Jailson are also sidelined for Os Celestes, which doesn’t help their chances against Los Blancos.
Injury boosts could improve Real Madrid’s form
Real Madrid are expected to receive a huge injury boost, as the Brazilian duo of Vinicius Jr. and Eder Militao are upgraded to probable after picking up knocks against Villarreal, and the return of Dani Ceballos to the bench provides Carlo Ancelotti another viable midfield option.
Militao’s return is huge for Los Blancos since it means that Aurelien Tchouameni will no longer have to play centre-back again and go back to his natural defensive midfielder role.
Meanwhile, Dani Carvajal is out for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL, opening the door for Lucas Vazquez to take over the right-back spot in the starting XI.
As always, the spotlight will be on Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., and Rodrygo this Saturday, since the trio have produced 12 league goals in the first nine matchdays of the 2024-25 campaign.
History
Celta Vigo are winless in their last 20 La Liga matches against Real Madrid (D2, L18), including an eight-game losing streak, their longest run of consecutive top-flight losses.
Claudio Giraldez’s side have the third-best home record in La Liga this term, as they picked up 10 points from their five matches at the Balaidos. Meanwhile, Los Blancos have only one win from their last four away matches in 2024-25 thus far.
Real Madrid have defeated Celta Vigo in nine of their last 10 visits in La Liga (D1), their longest away winning run since a 2-0 defeat in May 2014.
Overall, Carlo Ancelotti’s men are undefeated in their last 41 La Liga games (W30, D11), the second-best unbeaten run by any team in the Spanish top-flight. Real Madrid’s last league defeat was a 3-1 result against Atletico Madrid in September 2023.
Betting Tip
The La Liga 2024 odds are in favour of the visitors. Real Madrid are 1.57 favourites to win, while Celta Vigo are 4.74 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.91 in the 1X2 market.
While Real Madrid defeated Celta Vigo 4-0 the last time they met, such a result may be a one-off. Other than our recommended bet above, SBOTOP bettors may go for alternatives like Correct Score 2-0 or 2-1 in the visitors’ favour at 8.40 and 7.30, respectively.
On the other hand, a goalless draw is offering 15.50, while a rare win for Celta Vigo in this fixture will give you at least 16.00 (for Correct Scores of 1-0 and 2-1).
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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