Celta welcomes Barcelona with confidence after five wins in a row, while the Catalans, despite their offensive strength, have not been able to finish a game without conceding a goal in nine competitive matches. Historically, the Estadio de Balaídos has been a difficult place for Barcelona to visit, with only two wins in their last ten league games there. The last meeting between the two teams ended in a spectacular 4-3 win for Barcelona, highlighting both teams’ attacking threat and defensive vulnerability.
Celta come into this game full of confidence, especially after their commanding 3-0 win in Zagreb, where Pablo Durán scored twice. Claudio Giráldez’s team will look to punish Barcelona’s high defensive line with quick counterattacks and runs behind the back line. The visitors have Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo back, but they continue to struggle with defensive instability in the league and international competitions.
Barcelona are likely to stick with their aggressive pressing and high line, which will open up space behind the defense that Celta will look to exploit. The key will be whether the Catalans can minimize the transition moments and make the most of their attacking forces with quick combinations. Set pieces and crosses against Barcelona’s vulnerable wide areas could provide Celta with additional chances.
Personnel: Barcelona will be without Raphinha, Pedri, Gavi, and both regular goalkeepers, while Eric García may play with a nose mask. Lewandowski and Dani Olmo are back in the squad. Celta are almost at full strength, with only Javi Rueda missing through injury.
Celta’s strong form and Barcelona’s defensive problems mean that an open game is to be expected. A 1-1 or 2-2 draw seems likely, but a narrow 1-2 away win for Barcelona is also possible. For betting enthusiasts, “Both teams to score: Yes” and “Over 2.5 goals” are promising options.
Key players will be Pablo Durán for Celta, who can be dangerous with his shots on goal and counterattacks, as well as Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo for Barcelona, who are expected to provide goal-scoring threat and creativity. An exciting, high-scoring game is expected, with Celta having the means to punish Barcelona’s high line, while the visitors will need clean defensive work and effectiveness up front to take all three points.
- Venue: Estadio Abanca-Balaídos, Vigo
- Date and time: 09.11.2025, 21:00
- Competition: La Liga (Matchday 12)
The first recommended tip is “Over 2.5 goals.” Celta has scored in each of its last five games, with four of those matches seeing at least three goals. Barcelona has conceded goals in nine consecutive competitive games and has conceded 14 goals in its last seven games. Both teams have strong offensive players, which is why a high-scoring game seems plausible. The risk of this tip is considered moderate.
“Both teams to score: Yes” is the second recommendation. Celta has won five games in a row and scored in each of those games. Barcelona scores regularly despite personnel losses, but also concedes goals frequently. The absence of both regular goalkeepers and Pedri further weakens Barcelona’s defense and control of the game. With offensive players such as Iago Aspas and Borja Iglesias on Celta’s side and Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal on Barcelona’s side, the probability of goals on both sides is high. The risk here is between moderate and low.
The third tip is “Double Chance 1X.” Celta has been unbeaten for over a month, and its recent 3-0 European Cup win in Zagreb has added to its momentum. Barcelona lacks the necessary depth in its squad due to several absences, and the Catalans have only won two of their last ten away games at Balaídos.
Vigo Form & Record Check
Celta is currently enjoying its best spell of the season with five wins in a row. Particularly impressive was the confident 3-0 win at Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League, where Pablo Durán scored twice and an own goal by Sergi Domínguez decided the game at half-time.
Claudio Giráldez’s team is showing a clear upward trend in the league. Late wins against Levante (2-1) and Osasuna (3-2) underline the team’s mentality of turning games around in critical phases. Celta has scored in all five of its most recent games, mostly in both halves, which proves its offensive consistency.
With 13 points and a balanced goal difference, Celta are in 12th place, level on points with Sevilla and just one point behind Athletic Club. The gap to the international places is manageable, and their current run shows the potential to establish themselves in the top half of the table.
The personnel situation is relaxed: the only absence is Javi Rueda with a muscle injury. The rotation between the league and the Europa League is working well, with players such as Borja Iglesias, Iago Aspas, and Bryan Zaragoza providing offensive punch.
Coach Claudio Giráldez will probably stick with his tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 system. Ionuț Radu could be fit in time to start in goal despite his hand injury. The back four is likely to consist of Carreira at right-back, Stafelt and Javi Rodríguez in central defense, and Marcos Alonso at left-back.
Sotelo and Moriba will play as double pivots in central midfield. The attacking trio will consist of Mingueza on the right, Zaragoza on the left, and Jutglà as the number 10 behind the striker. Borja Iglesias will play as the lone striker.
The only confirmed absence is Javi Rueda with a thigh injury, and his return is unclear. The lineup largely corresponds to the recently successful formation, with several regulars being rested in the Europa League game against Dinamo Zagreb.
Barcelona Form & Record Check
Barcelona is going through an inconsistent phase: the team has won three, drawn one, and lost one of its last five competitive games. At first glance, this looks solid, but on closer inspection, it is worrying due to constant defensive lapses.
The defense has become a problem area: the Catalans have conceded at least one goal in nine consecutive competitive games and have conceded 14 goals in their last seven games alone. The offside trap has been repeatedly exploited recently, and in Bruges the defensive unit looked vulnerable and disorganized.
The 3-3 draw at Club Brugge sums up the current situation perfectly: Barcelona had to come from behind three times and salvaged a point thanks to a late own goal. Such games demonstrate offensive effectiveness, but also a lack of stability in the organization and too much risk-taking in defense.
Offensively, things are working better: Barcelona has scored at least once in each of its last five games, with four of those five games seeing a goal scored in the first half. Each of these five games saw more than 2.5 goals scored, so the team regularly produces spectacle and scoring chances.
Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo are back, Lamine Yamal is showing progress after his pubalgia, but his form is still inconsistent. Raphinha, Pedri, Gavi, and goalkeepers ter Stegen and Joan García are still out. Eric García is out of the Bruges game at short notice after breaking his nose.
Sporting director Deco has confirmed that he will stick to Flick’s style of play and ruled out a change of style. In the short term, the focus will have to be on defensive fine-tuning, better coordination in the offside trap, and more stability in transition play. Given the offensive strength and defensive vulnerability, another high-scoring game is likely. The probability of Barcelona scoring is high, but the risk of conceding at least one goal also remains high. Defensive organization on set pieces and counterattacks must be improved, as must communication in the back four until ter Stegen is available again.
Barcelona are expected to line up in a 4-3-3 formation. The exact line-up still needs to be verified due to inconsistencies in the original text. Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo are certain to return, while Raphinha, Pedri, Gavi and both regular goalkeepers remain sidelined.
Vigo – Barcelona Head-to-Head & Statistics
Barcelona leads the last five meetings with three wins, Celta won once and one game ended in a draw. All five encounters have produced at least three goals, with the highest-scoring game being Barcelona’s 4-3 home win in April 2024, which saw seven goals scored.
The distribution of goals is striking: in each of the five games, there was a maximum of one goal per team at halftime, but after the break, each game produced more than 1.5 goals, and in three cases even more than 2.5.
Both teams scored consistently: Celta scored at least once in all five games, but also conceded at least one goal in each game. The same applies to Barcelona, who were dangerous in front of goal but vulnerable defensively. Celta’s last home win against Barcelona dates back to June 2023, when they won 2-1. The most recent meeting in November 2024 in Vigo ended in a 2-2 draw, with Celta having lost twice narrowly away from home before that.
History suggests another open and high-scoring game in which both teams will score. Another exchange of blows with several goals is therefore likely.
