Celta Vigo vs Villarreal

Estadio de Balaídos is the venue as Celta Vigo and Villarreal go head-to-head in La Liga’s top-seven six-pointer.

Celta Vigo’s quest to secure European qualification took a severe blow last weekend as they threw away a two-goal cushion in a heartbreaking 4-3 defeat at Barcelona, courtesy of a 98th-minute penalty. As a result, the hosts finished the round in eighth, albeit only a point adrift of seventh-placed Mallorca, suggesting a spot in next season’s Europa League is well within reach. The impending return to Balaidos should help Claudio Giraldez’s side bounce back from consecutive league losses, with Los Celestes accumulating 30 of their 43 points this season on home turf (W9, D3, L4). However, back-to-back winless home fixtures paint a bleak picture (D1, L1). 

Meanwhile, Villarreal commence the round in fifth place and will secure Champions League qualification if they can protect a single-point lead on sixth-placed Betis. It could’ve been three had it not been for VAR, which denied them two goals in last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Real Sociedad, including a stoppage-time winner. Seeking a second top-five finish in five years, Marcelino’s team will take the field in a buoyant mood after only losing two of their last 12 matches (W6, D4). Furthermore, they’ve only suffered two defeats across their 13 previous away meetings with Celta in all competitions (W5, D6), suggesting this could be another day in the office for the visiting side.