Sports Mole previews Sunday’s La Liga clash between Celta Vigo and Villarreal, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Celta VigoSpain’s battle to stay out of the La Liga relegation zone will continue on Sunday afternoon when they host the European hopefuls. Villarreal at the Balaidos Municipal Stadium.
The hosts are currently 17th in the table, five points above 18th-placed Cadiz, while Villarreal sit in ninth, four points behind seventh-placed Real Betis.
Match Preview
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Claudio Giraldez guided Celta to two victories in five matches at the helm since his replacement Rafael Benitez as head coach of the club on March 12.
There have been plenty of positive signs under the 36-year-old, but the Sky Blues have now lost two of their last three matches, including a 3-0 defeat at Alaves last time out.
Celta remain in relegation trouble, sitting 17th in the division, five points ahead of 18th-placed Cadiz with five matches remaining; Cadiz travel to Real Madrid on Saturday, so a win for the home side here could put them in a very strong position with just four games remaining.
The Vigo side have a record of seven wins, 10 draws and 16 defeats in their 33 league matches this season, while they have conceded 50 times, which is the fourth worst defensive record, with Villarreal actually third on this list, with 55 goals. goals in the Spanish top flight this season.
Celta have the third-worst home record in La Liga this season, with just 17 points from 16 matches, but they have picked up seven points from the last nine available in front of their own fans.
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Villarreal, meanwhile, have the fifth-best away record in the league this season, picking up 23 points from 16 matches, and can also build on a strong run of recent results against Celta.
Indeed, the Yellow Submarine have won three of their last four La Liga matches against Celta, including a 3-2 victory when the two teams met in the reverse fixture earlier this season.
MarcelinoThe Spanish team will come into this match on the back of successive wins against Almeria and Rayo Vallecano, having lost just once in the Spanish top flight since January 13.
Poor form in the first half of the campaign cost them a place higher in the division, but Villarreal still have an outside chance of finishing seventh or sixth, which would allow them to qualify for Europe next season.
The Yellow Submarine are ninth in the table, four points behind seventh-placed Real Betis and six behind sixth-placed Real Sociedad, and they will bring a six-game unbeaten away run to the league into this match, which has started with a 5-3 success against Barcelona at the end of January.
Celta Vigo form in La Liga:
Villarreal form in La Liga:
Villarreal form (all competitions):
Team News
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Celta will be boosted by the return of the top scorer Jorgen Strand Larsen this weekend, with the 24-year-old, who has 11 league goals this season, serving a suspension against Alaves.
The Sky Blues are still missing three injured players, with Renato Tapia, Joseph Aidoo And Carlos Dotor unavailable for selection.
Head coach Giraldez should resist the temptation to shuffle his peloton, but Larsen is guaranteed to return to the final third of the peloton, while William Swedberg could also be introduced into the XI.
As for Villarreal, Bertrand Traoré, Eric Bailly, Juan Foyth, Denis Suarez And Yérémy Pino remain unavailable for selection, while Alphonse Pedraza And Gerard Moreno require late fitness tests.
Head coach Marcelino could decide to name the same team that took the field at the first whistle against Rayo last time, with Goncalo Guédés ready to start if Gerard Moreno is not available.
Alex Baena And Ilias Akhomach should continue in the wide positions, while Santi Comesana is again likely to feature alongside Dani Parejo in the middle of the midfield.
Possible starting XI for Celta Vigo:
Guaita; Mingueza, Dominguez, Nunez; Pérez, Beltran, Jailson, Sánchez; Aspas, Larsen, Swedberg
Villarreal possible starting lineup:
Jorgensen; Femenia, Albiol, Mosquera, A Moreno; Akhomach, Comesana, Parejo, Baena; Guedes, Sorloth
We say: Celta Vigo 1-2 Villarreal
Villarreal are in good form and, although Celta are fighting for their lives, we expect a close victory here, which would boost Villarreal’s hopes of finishing in Europe this season. Alexander Sorloth has scored nine times in his last eight league matches and could be the difference between the two teams in this competition.
For data analysis of most likely outcomes, scores and more for this match, please click here.
