Celta Vigo – Villarreal
Spectacle seems guaranteed when Celta Vigo and Villarreal meet – on Wednesday evening, the Galicians have the chance to reduce the nine-point gap to their Europa League rivals at the Estadio Abanca-Balaídos. Celta are eighth with 43 points, while Villarreal travel to fifth place with 52 points and want to maintain their narrow lead.
While Villarreal were mainly complaining about disallowed goals and the referees after their 2-2 draw with Real Sociedad, Celta are full of confidence despite their 3-4 defeat at FC Barcelona: Borja Iglesias’ hat-trick showed how dangerous the young offense already is. Historically, the visitors have the upper hand (three wins in the last five league games), but there are almost always goals at both ends – the 4-3 win in the first leg was just the latest example.
It will be exciting to see who can shake off the recent emotions better: Giráldez is considering bringing in fresh players, while Marcelino’s team first had to process the frustration and jubilation in San Sebastián. The stage is set for an open battle.
Celta Vigo – Villarreal info
- Venue: Estadio Abanca-Balaídos, Vigo
- Date and time: 23.04.2025, 19:00
- Competition: La Liga (matchday 33)
Celta Vigo form & record check
Celta are fluctuating between fireworks and frustration: two wins, one draw, and two defeats in their last five games. The 3-4 thriller at Camp Nou showed morale, while the 0-2 defeat to Espanyol before that showed their old inefficiency.
What’s striking is that Giráldez is consistently relying on young talent such as Pablo Durán, Swedberg and hat-trick hero Iglesias. Celta have scored at least once in four of their last five games, but have also rarely kept a clean sheet.
Things often only get going after the break – in 80% of games, the first half saw fewer than 1.5 goals. Eighth place means Mallorca has exactly the same number of points as Real Sociedad, who are just one point behind. Consistency will decide who qualifies for Europe.
Giráldez is unlikely to change his tried-and-tested 4-1-4-1 formation: Guaita in goal; Rodríguez, Lago, Alonso, and Carreira form the back four. Beltrán provides cover and distribution, while Moriba and Durán are tasked with creating momentum in the center.
Losada and Swedberg occupy the wings, with Iglesias waiting up front – his hat trick has cemented his place. Injuries or suspensions? None, which means only a tactical decision could lead to changes.
Villarreal form & record check
Villarreal are fifth with 52 points, four ahead of Real Betis and five behind Athletic. They are currently performing better away than at home: a 2-1 win at Betis was followed by an intense 2-2 draw in San Sebastián, with a goalless 0-0 draw against Athletic in between.
Characteristic: lots of action before the break – in four of the last five league games, both teams scored in the first half, after which the game often settled down. Yeremy Pino looks lively again after his injury, and Ayoze Pérez is keeping up with the top scorers.
The absences of Gerard Moreno, Álex Baena, and Ilias Akhomach are causing concern, which is why improvisers such as Comesaña and Barry are shouldering more responsibility. 80% of recent games have ended with at least three goals – spectacle guaranteed, defensive stability still room for improvement.
Marcelino sticks with a 4-4-2 formation. Suárez and Parejo form the central midfield, with Pino and Comesaña providing pace on the wings. Ayoze Pérez and Barry are likely to start up front.
Creative midfielder Baena and striker Gerard Moreno are still out, as is the long-term injured Akhomach. The result: more flexibility in transition, but less finesse in the final pass. However, minor adjustments are still possible before Wednesday.
H2H Celta Vigo – Villarreal Head-to-head & statistics
Five direct encounters, four times at least five goals, both teams scoring every time – that’s almost all you need to describe the statistics of this classic fixture. Villarreal won three of these games, Celta one, and another ended 1-1.
The visitors are particularly dangerous early on: they have scored in the first half of all five games. Giráldez knows that his team will have to be alert from the start if they don’t want to find themselves chasing the game again.
