Celta Vigo will welcome Espanyol to the Municipal de Balaidos on Sunday evening for a Matchday 14 clash in La Liga.
Both sides arrive in contrasting form, with Celta struggling to make home advantage count while the visitors have enjoyed a relatively steady campaign so far.
Match preview
Celta Vigo have endured a frustrating season, particularly at Balaidos, where they remain winless after seven league matches.
The Sky Blues have recorded five draws and two defeats on home soil – a stark contrast to the strong home form that defined their previous campaigns.
However, there have been encouraging signs away from home with their most recent outing ending with a narrow but crucial 1-0 victory over Deportivo Alaves, giving Claudio Giraldez’s men a much-needed confidence boost.
After 13 matches, Celta have secured three wins, seven draws and three defeats, collecting 16 points and sitting 12th in the La Liga table.
Their pragmatic approach this season has delivered some stability, but they have struggled to turn dominance into victories.
Defensively, they have conceded 18 goals while scoring 16, underlining defensive vulnerability and inefficiency in front of goal, particularly at home.
Giraldez’s tactical adjustments have begun to show promise, with four wins from their last six matches across all competitions.
However, their progress took a slight hit in midweek, as they suffered a 3-2 defeat to Ludogorets Razgrad in the Europa League – a timely reminder that defensive issues still need addressing.
Nevertheless, the signs of an improving attacking rhythm are evident, with key players starting to connect better in the final third, even though consistency remains their biggest challenge.
© Imago / Pressinphoto
Espanyol, on the other hand, have surpassed expectations so far this season, currently sitting sixth in La Liga with 21 points from 13 matches, following six wins, three draws and four defeats.
Manolo Gonzalez’s men have also maintained a positive goal difference, scoring 17 and conceding 16.
Their confidence will be further boosted by last weekend’s impressive 2-1 home victory over Sevilla, a performance that underlined their tactical maturity and growing belief.
However, their away record – one win, two draws and two defeats – suggests there are still vulnerabilities on the road.
While they are capable of competing at a high level, inconsistency remains part of their profile.
Historically, Espanyol have had the upper hand in this fixture, winning three of the last five meetings, while Celta have only managed one victory, with the other match ending in a draw.
Their most recent encounter ended in a 2-0 away win for Espanyol.
Celta Vigo La Liga form:
Celta Vigo form (all competitions):
Espanyol La Liga form:
Espanyol form (all competitions):
Team News
© Imago
Celta will be without Carlos Dominguez, who is sidelined with a thigh injury and is not expected back until early December.
Ivan Villar featured in their midweek European defeat, but Ionut Radu is expected to return to the starting lineup this weekend.
Carl Starfelt is now fully fit and available after featuring against Ludogorets, while club legend Iago Aspas has also recovered and is back in contention.
For Espanyol, Javier Puado remains ruled out due to a knee injury and is expected to be unavailable until early December.
Gonzalez is likely to stick largely with the side that defeated Sevilla, with Fernando Calero and Leandro Cabrera continuing at the heart of defence.
Urko Gonzalez and Edu Exposito should control the midfield, while Kike Garcia leads the line alongside Pere Milla.
Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:
Radu; Rodriguez, Starfelt, Alonso; Rueda, Beltran, Moriba, Carreira; Aspas, Zaragoza; Duran
Espanyol possible starting lineup:
Dmitrovic; Romero, Cabrera, Calero, El Hilali; Terrats, Exposito, Gonzalez, Dolan; Milla, Kike
We say: Celta Vigo 1-0 Espanyol
After their Europa League setback, Celta will be desperate to make a statement.
With the backing of their home fans, they should edge a tight contest against a disciplined Espanyol side and bounce back with a narrow but important win.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
