Celta Vigo vs Athletic Club predictions and match preview for Sunday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, team news and predicted lineups as Athletic travel to Galicia.
| Date | Sunday 29th January 2023 |
| Kick-Off | 18:30 (CET) |
| Stadium | Balaidos |
| Competition | LaLiga |
Celta Vigo vs Athletic Club Preview
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Athletic Club head to Vigo on Sunday, fresh from an excellent Copa del Rey win at Mestalla which pushes them into yet another Semi-Final. Their recent league form has been poor though and this may not be the best time to be heading to Balaidos.
That’s because Celta have shown plenty of promising signs since the restart with defensive improvements under Carlos Carvalhal evident. The only thing that hasn’t changed is their ability to kill games off and they really should have won more than 1 of their 6 league games so far under the Portuguese boss.
A 4 game unbeaten streak did come to an end last weekend with a 1-0 loss in Mallorca and their last 6 games have produced just 5 goals in total which gives you an idea of just how much things have changed from the often open nature of their matches under Chacho Coudet. A switch to a back three has been fundamental to that change and there is a solidity to them now that has been lacking for a number of years, even if they are less entertaining from a neutral perspective.
It hasn’t exactly been raining goals for Athletic either in recent weeks, at least not in the league. They’ve only managed to score 1 goal in their 4 games since the World Cup and that came in an otherwise poor performance in the 3-1 derby defeat at Real Sociedad. It’s also just 1 point from their last 4 away league games with Ernesto Valverde’s latest Bilbao honeymoon period clearly over.
There was plenty for Athletic fans to cheer in midweek though as they put in their best showing of 2023 to date to win their Copa del Rey Quarter Final 3-1 at Mestalla. Out of favour Iker Muniain was finally granted a start by his coach and he certainly delivered with the game’s opening goal as Athletic booked their place in the last four for the 4th season in a row.
Team News & Possible Lineups
Celta Vigo
Possible XI: Marchesin – Nunez, Aidoo, Mingueza – Galan, Cervi, Beltran, Veiga, Mallo – Aspas, Larsen (3-5-2)
Coach: Carlos Carvalhal
Athletic Club
| INJURED | |
| DOUBTFUL | Inigo Martinez |
| BANNED |
Possible XI: Simon – Yuri, Vivian, Yeray, De Marcos – Vesga, Zarraga, Sancet – N. Williams, Guruzeta, I. Williams (4-3-3)
Coach: Ernesto Valverde
Score Prediction: Celta Vigo 1-0 Athletic Club
Celta have an advantage in that they weren’t in cup action in midweek and they’ve been looking better at Balaidos in recent matches so this is a tough game for Athletic. With the Basques struggling for goals, there’s every chance they fall to another defeat here although it is likely to be a tight game with relatively few opportunities.
PLEASE NOTE – Our LaLiga predictions are not betting tips! No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on Spanish football. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.
