After losing 3-0 to Levante, Sevilla are under immediate pressure on Monday evening at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán – not least because Matías Almeyda has to replace Adams and Ejuke due to their trip to Nigeria, Marcão is suspended and Azpilicueta is out injured, even though Vargas and Carmona have returned to training. On January 12, Sevilla welcomes Claudio Giráldez’s Celta in round 19, and a decision allows spectators to attend. Sevilla is 13th with 20 points, 1 behind Girona and 1 ahead of Osasuna – there is not much room for error. Celta is in 7th place with 26 points, three behind Real Betis, and is coming off a 4-1 win over Valencia; They are unbeaten away since September. The last meeting ended 3-2 to Celta, and Sevilla has scored in each of the last five encounters.
Venue: Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville
Date and time: January 12, 2026, 9:00 p.m.
Competition: La Liga (Matchday 19)
With a balanced market, Sevilla and Vigo both rated at 2.7 and the draw at 3.3, the value lies in betting on Vigo’s away resilience and Sevilla’s vulnerability. Almeyda will be without Adams and Ejuke at the Africa Cup of Nations, and there are also absences in defense, even though Vargas and Carmona are returning and the Pizjuán remains open. That suggests a draw or something in Vigo’s favor, although Sevilla’s urgency still means that both teams could score and even an away win remains a possibility.
Sevilla form & record check
Sevilla go into matchday 19 in 13th place in the table with 20 points, closer to mid-table than the European chase that fans are used to. The gaps are minimal, one point behind Girona and one ahead of Osasuna, so the mood can quickly change. Vlachodimos has been a clear asset in goal, but the team’s league form remains inconsistent, with only one win in the last five games. The new year got off to a pretty bad start with a 0-3 home defeat to Levante. Sevilla were too passive at the beginning, but came into the game more after Januzaj came on as a substitute. However, they failed to take their chances and Isaac Romero missed a penalty in stoppage time. Conceding goals just before half-time and then again on the counterattack was more a sign of poor game management than pure bad luck. This defeat followed a 2-0 league loss at Real Madrid and a 1-0 away defeat at Alaves in the Copa del Rey, games in which Sevilla struggled to create clear-cut chances. The 4-0 win over Oviedo showed what is possible when everything clicks, while the 1-1 draw in Valencia was more decent than courageous. Overall, the recent run leaves more questions than it answers. Sevilla have conceded in four of their last five games, and that is often a problem after the break, with goals conceded in the second half in 80% of that sample. The first halves remain quiet, with under 1.5 goals in 80% of games, but then it opens up late on. Marcão is suspended, Azpilicueta and Suazo are injured, and Adams and Ejuke are at the Africa Cup of Nations, so goals could depend heavily on Alexis Sánchez and Isaac Romero.
Almeyda is likely to stick with a 3-5-2 formation against Celta on Monday, with Vlachodimos once again favored to start in goal. Carmona, Gudelj, and Salas are expected to form the back three, with Juanlu and Vargas providing width as wingbacks. In midfield, Agoumé, Mendy, and Sow would set the pace and secure the transition moments, with Alexis playing behind Romero up front. However, this is only a prediction, and it is heavily influenced by injuries. Marcão is suspended, Azpilicueta, Suazo, and Alfon are still out with injuries, and Ejuke and Adams are away with Nigeria. If Vargas is not considered ready after only a few training sessions, Januzaj could slip into the starting lineup. Cardoso, Nianzou, and Jordán look like the most important options for substitutions during the game.
Vigo Form & Record Check
Celta de Vigo are seventh in La Liga with 26 points, Real Betis are just three points ahead and Athletic Club are two points behind, so every move counts ahead of Monday’s game in Seville. Away from home, they are the fourth-best team in the league, unbeaten on their travels since September 28, and their four wins and three draws on the road explain the calm surrounding Giráldez’s plan. The last month provides a clear snapshot of this, with Valencia being swept aside 4-1, Borja Iglesias scoring twice, and late goals adding even more bite to the result, even if they didn’t feel completely comfortable after Valencia’s goal. In between, there was a tough 0-0 draw in Oviedo, a disciplined 2-0 win against Athletic Club, and a 2-1 defeat in the Europa League against Bologna, while their Copa run came to an end at Albacete on penalties. A pattern is hard to miss: Celta’s first halves were so controlled that it looked like caution, with each of the last five games staying under 1.5 goals before the break, then opening up after about an hour. They have scored in four of those five games, but the absences of Carlos Domínguez, Ristic, and Sotelo, plus the sale of de la Torre, could thin out the midfield. The contract noise surrounding Mingueza is another variable.
Giráldez is likely to stick with his familiar 3-4-3 formation, with Radu behind a back three of Rodríguez, Aidoo, and Alonso. Mingueza and Carreira will provide width, although both can also move into the center to allow Celta to build up play through Moriba and Beltrán. Up front, Zaragoza and Swedberg are likely to pose the biggest threat on the wings, with Iglesias as the central reference point. However, this is only a projection, and the most important caveat remains the thin personnel coverage on the left side, with Domínguez and Ristic still missing and Sotelo also unavailable. This could make the coaching staff cautious with their rotation and make Starfelt or Lago the first option if the back line needs to be reshuffled. Aspas remains the obvious option for the final phase if he is held back again.
Sevilla – Vigo Head-to-head & statistics
Celta has the edge in the last five meetings, with two wins to Sevilla’s one, plus two draws. The most recent encounter in May 2025 ended 3-2 to Celta, in a game that was decided by small moments rather than clear control. Sevilla’s only win in this series came in 2024, a narrow 1-0 victory that turned the usual scoring pattern in this rivalry on its head. In four of these five games, both teams scored, the only exception being Sevilla’s 1-0 win in 2024. Sevilla has scored in all five games in a row, a reliable constant even if the results have fluctuated in between. On the other hand, Celta has conceded in all five games and still won twice, showing that their best phases in these direct duels came from outscoring their opponents, not from stifling the games. Interestingly, the early stages were often tough, with under 1.5 goals in the first half in four consecutive direct duels. After the break, however, it rarely turns into a pure testing phase; in this sample, there were no draws in the second half. Sevilla has conceded goals against Celta in three consecutive games, while Celta has scored three times in a row. This suggests that patience and clean execution late in the game will count in this duel.
