Espanyol vs. Celta Vigo: A Battle for European Ambitions

Espanyol will be looking to snap a concerning losing streak when they host Celta Vigo at the RCDE Stadium on Saturday afternoon in a pivotal La Liga encounter. Both teams are firmly in the race for European football in the 2026-27 campaign, making this match a must-win for both sides.

Espanyol’s Recent Struggles

Despite a promising season overall, Espanyol find themselves in a slump, having lost their last four league games. While they currently hold sixth place in the La Liga table, just one point ahead of Celta Vigo, their grip on a European spot is tenuous. A recent 2-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao on December 22nd feels like a distant memory, and their home form has been inconsistent, with six wins, one draw, and five losses in 12 matches.

However, Espanyol boasts a strong historical record against Celta, winning five of their last seven meetings. Despite this, they’ll be wary of past defeats, including a 3-1 home loss in March 2023.

Celta Vigo’s Form and Focus

Celta Vigo enters this match off the back of a 2-1 home defeat to Osasuna, continuing a recent trend of inconsistent results. Their last league win came on January 18th against Rayo Vallecano, a 3-0 victory that was followed by a 2-1 Europa League win over Lille.

Currently preparing for a Europa League knockout round playoff clash against PAOK, Celta must prioritize their La Liga campaign. A win against Espanyol would see them leapfrog their opponents in the table and strengthen their claim for a top-six finish. With eight wins, nine draws, and six defeats from 23 league matches, Celta has accumulated 33 points.

Team News & Potential Lineups

Espanyol will be without Javi Puado due to a long-term knee injury. Carlos Romero and Roman Terrats are back in contention after being unavailable against Villarreal. Kike Garcia and Cyril Ngonge, who impressed off the bench in the previous match, could feature prominently.

Espanyol Possible Starting Lineup: Dmitrovic; El Hilali, Riedel, Cabrera, Romero; Ngonge, Exposito, Zarate, Lozano, Milla; K Garcia

For Celta Vigo, Alvaro Nunez remains a fitness doubt. Head coach Claudio Giraldez is expected to make changes to the side that faced Osasuna, with Oscar Mingueza and Williot Swedberg likely to be included. Borja Iglesias, with nine La Liga goals this season, is certain to lead the line.

Celta Vigo Possible Starting Lineup: Radu; Alonso, Starfelt, Rodriguez; Carreira, Moriba, Roman, Mingueza; Swedberg, Iglesias, Lopez

Match Prediction

This promises to be a tightly contested match, with both teams desperate for points. Given their recent struggles, a cagey affair with a low-scoring draw seems the most likely outcome. For more in-depth data analysis and potential scorelines, visit WhoScored.com.

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