Guillermo Almada’s first appearance on the Oviedo bench comes in a game that feels like a minor turning point for both clubs. On Saturday, second-to-last Oviedo welcomes eighth-placed Celta de Vigo to the Estadio Nuevo Carlos Tartiere on matchday 17 of La Liga. The hosts have 10 points and a goal difference of minus 19, are five points behind safety and only one point ahead of bottom-placed Levante. Celta travel with 22 points, one point behind Athletic, and are firmly in the mix in the race for European places. Almada takes over after the 4-0 defeat in Seville, which cost Luis Carrión his job and extended the winless run in the league and cup to ten games, including the Copa exit against Ourense. He finds a team under pressure and also without suspended center back Carmo and injured midfielder Ejaria, so the hope in Oviedo is that a new voice alone can change the mood at the Tartiere. On the other hand, Claudio Giráldez’s team is coming off a league win, as their 2-0 victory over Athletic moved them up to eighth place, although recent setbacks in Europe against Bologna and their elimination from the Copa del Rey on penalties at Albacete have dampened the optimism somewhat.
- Venue: Estadio Nuevo Carlos Tartiere, Oviedo
- Date and time: December 20, 2025, 2:00 p.m.
- Competition: La Liga (matchday 17)
From a betting perspective, there is a lot to be said for Celta, and our approach follows this line of thinking. The clear main tip is for Celta to win away, while a more conservative approach would be to hedge with a draw or the double chance X2. Oviedo’s slump in form, their long winless streak in the league, the loss of Ejaria, and the accompanying chaos surrounding Almada’s appointment after the 4-0 defeat in Seville provide solid justification for this. The recent 2-0 win against Athletic, combined with Oviedo’s vulnerable first halves, also makes a bolder bet on the visitors leading at halftime a reasonable proposition.
Oviedo Form & Record Check
In La Liga, the situation looks bleak for Oviedo. Ahead of matchday 17, they go into this fixture without a win in their last five league games, the most recent being a heavy 4-0 defeat in Seville that cost Luis Carrión his job. Before that, they fought hard to secure goalless draws at home against Rayo Vallecano and Mallorca, but failed to score in narrow away defeats to Athletic Club and Atletico Madrid. Under Carrión, they went on a long run of competitive games without a win in all competitions, which explains their current fragility. In their last five league games, Oviedo have failed to score, have not taken the lead in either the first or second half, and most of their second halves have been evenly matched and lacking in chances. Interestingly, their dwindling confidence now seems to be their biggest opponent. Part of the problem lies in the structural area of their attack. Without Ejaria and with Cazorla and Viñas suspended after the heated draw against Mallorca, Carrión had to improvise, using Reina as a more disciplined link-up player and rotating Hassan and Brekalo on the wings. The team often controlled the ball but lacked the runners and clarity in the final third that Almada now needs to address. In the table, Oviedo is in 19th place with 10 points and a goal difference of minus 19, five points behind Girona and only one point ahead of bottom-placed Levante. The cup exit against Ourense and the recent humiliation in Seville have further exacerbated the sense of crisis that Almada is inheriting, along with Carmo’s suspension and Lemos’ long-term injury.
Oviedo are expected to line up in a familiar 4-2-3-1, with Escandell in goal behind a back four of Ahijado, Costas, Bailly, and Alhassane. In the double six, Dendoncker and Colombatto should provide stability with their size and composure in the first pass, while Hassan and Chaira come in from the wings, Reina operates between the lines, and Rondón is served as a classic reference striker in the center. This predicted starting eleven takes into account Carmo’s suspension in the league, Ejaria’s ongoing injury, and Lemos’ long-term absence. Cazorla, Viñas, Ilic, and Brekalo are plausible alternatives who would shift the team towards additional creativity or more pace, so it is quite possible that one of the three attacking midfield positions will be adjusted at short notice.
Vigo Form & Record Check
Celta travels to Oviedo in a significantly different mood in the league. The team is in eighth place in La Liga with 22 points, just one point behind Athletic and two ahead of Sevilla. The 2-0 win at Real Madrid, followed by another 2-0 win against Athletic at Balaídos, exceeded many expectations and has turned a nervous autumn into the basis for a realistic push towards Europe. Across all competitions, however, the picture is more uneven. A controlled 0-0 draw at Sant Andreu in the Copa del Rey ended with a penalty shootout victory, but the 2-2 draw and subsequent penalty shootout defeat at Albacete was a clear step backwards, especially as Celta had led twice. In Europe, the 2-1 home defeat to Bologna exposed the limitations against a physically dominant team, even though Bryan Zaragoza had given them the lead. The statistics behind this run are revealing. In their last five games, every first half has ended with fewer than two goals, but in four of those games at least two goals were scored after the break, which fits with the impression that the team gets into its stride as the game progresses. Celta have scored in four of those five games, but control often comes late rather than early. Tactically, Claudio Giráldez usually opts for a back three with high carrileros, Mingueza and Carreira, and Borja Iglesias as a clear reference point up front, while Aspas links the play when he comes on as a substitute. The game against Bologna showed that Beltrán and Ilaix can struggle when under intense pressure, but in the league, Radu and Starfelt have provided more stability. Mingueza’s run of starts and reported interest from Liverpool underline how his form, and with it Celta’s, has improved.
Celta are likely to start in a 4-3-3 again under Claudio Giráldez, with Villar in goal and a back four of Mingueza, Starfelt, Aidoo, and Ristic. Beltrán is expected to provide cover in midfield, with Moriba providing the necessary dynamism and Sotelo playing a more creative role. In attack, Bryan and Aspas are likely to support Borja, who will be the central reference point up front, from the wings and the half-space respectively. With no injuries reported, no obvious forced changes are expected to this predicted starting eleven, so it will be particularly interesting to see how early Giráldez turns to the bench. Swedberg and Cervi could offer another option between the lines, while Jutglà is available as an alternative to Borja. Mingueza, despite the transfer rumors, seems to remain a fixture after his strong run of appearances.
Oviedo – Vigo Head-to-Head & Statistics
In the available recent data, there is only one direct match between Oviedo and Celta de Vigo, a friendly in 2020 that ended 2-2 in Vigo. This makes the head-to-head record completely even, with no wins for either side and one draw, so there is no historical indication that one club is clearly superior to the other. This match reveals a pattern in terms of goals scored. Both teams scored two goals and conceded two, with all final score metrics pointing to an open contest in which over 1.5, over 2.5, and even over 3.5 goals were covered in this one sample. This suggests that defensive control has not played a central role in previous encounters between these teams. However, this was a non-competitive club friendly and not a league game, so its significance is limited. There are no multi-game series to draw on, and psychologically, neither side can claim historical dominance, so the coaching staffs are likely to view the head-to-head record for this La Liga matchup as almost meaningless.
