Soccer Spain LaLiga Prediction

Celta Vigo vs Barcelona - Match Preview

⚽ 4 June 2023 - 19:00 GMT +0

Starting this game one point above the relegation zone, Celta Vigo can guarantee La Liga (LL) safety only with a win. Any other result and their fate will depend on other results, considering their inferior head-to-head record against most of the other five clubs looking to avoid the drop. There’s a big question mark here about their ability to win here as they head into this final round with just a single point across their last six league games (L5), meaning the Sky Blues could be sleepwalking towards the second division for the first time since 2011/12.

Manager Carlos Carvalhal remains ‘positive’ as they finish their campaign at home, where Celta are unbeaten in five of the last seven games (W3, D2, L2). And facing champions Barcelona might not be as daunting a task as feared, having lost just once across the last seven LL home H2Hs (W3, D3).

A 3-0 home win over Mallorca last Sunday was a farewell of many sorts for Barcelona. The iconic Camp Nou, home to the club for 66 years, has seen its final game before shutting for a refit, while club legends Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets played their last games for the Catalans.

One player surely pushing for a start here is goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen who is tied for the number of clean sheets in a single LL season (26), previously hinting that his aim “is to overcome it.” That would require immediate improvements as Barça have conceded seven goals across their last three trips (W1, L2), although on the plus side, Barcelona has registered clean sheets in their last three away league campaign finales.

Players to watch: Iago Aspas led Celta’s comeback in a 3-3 league draw here last season with a second-half brace and has 13 goal contributions across 16 personal league H2Hs (G10, A3). Looking to upstage him for impact will be Barça’s Robert Lewandowski who has contributed to seven goals across his last seven league games (G6, A1).

Hot stat: Celta has conceded a league-high ten match-opening goals within the first 15 minutes across this LL campaign.