Real Madrid will aim to get back to winning ways after their big defeat to Barcelona, as the title hopefuls travel to face Celta Vigo on Saturday.
As Real Madrid visit Celta Vigo for their next La Liga fixture, Eduardo Coudet’s desire to arrest a bad run of form could be dealt a severe blow. Celta Vigo are scrambling for a mid-table finish this season and hoping to match their eighth-placed finish from the previous season.
They have collected 36 points from their 29 La Liga games, which has pinned them in 11th on the table. Celta Vigo’s idea would be to qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League next season, which would be ambitious, considering they are nine points off seventh-placed Villarreal.
In the current scenario, Coudet will be looking to improve on recent results after winning just once in their last six league games. Celta Vigo lost to Villarreal and drew with Real Betis in their two previous league games, and Real Madrid will come to Balaidos wounded and looking to make a stern point.
Real Madrid fans were left shellshocked after Barcelona’s rampant performance at the Santiago Bernabeu finished with a 0-4 scoreline. That win for the Catalans ended Real Madrid’s four game-winning run, something Carlo Ancelotti hopes to begin again by guiding his team to three points against Celta Vigo.
The defeat in El Clasico could have impacted the title race, although much to Real Madrid’s fortune, second-placed Sevilla could only manage a draw against Real Sociedad. Julen Lopetegui’s men’s inability to take advantage of Real Madrid’s defeat leaves a nine-point gap between the two sides, with Ancelotti’s men firmly in the driving seat.
A victory over Celta Vigo will allow Real Madrid to rest and switch their focus to their UEFA Champions League campaign, with Chelsea up next in the quarter-finals. Ancelotti will be hoping for a swift response from his players. However, a bad result could allow the likes of Sevilla or even Barcelona to enter the title conversation late in the season.
Team News & Tactics
Celta Vigo
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Eduardo Coudet will have to make do without captain Hugo Mallo, who suffered a fractured patella on his right knee, ruling him out for the rest of the season. However, the Celta Vigo manager will have Javi Galan and Franco Cervi available after the duo served their suspensions.
Galan and Cervi should start against Madrid, and there are not many surprise changes expected to the lineup. Jeison Murillo could be the option to replace Mallo at right-back, while Nestor Araujo and Joseph Aidoo the preferred choice at the heart of the Celta Vigo defence.
Fran Beltran is likely to keep Renato Tapia out of the lineup as he takes the defensive midfield role, ahead of a attacking midfield trio ahead of him. Brais Mendez, Denis Suarez and Cervi will take these positions in the team. Santi Mina could be preferred ahead of Thiago Galhardo, as he could partner with Iago Aspas in a front two.
Probable Lineup (4-1-3-2): Dituro; Murillo, Aidoo, Araujo, Galan; Beltran; Mendez, Suarez, Cervi; Aspas, Mina
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti will be missing from the touchline after testing positive for COVID-19. While the Real Madrid boss will be watching the game from the enclosure of his home, he could make a few changes to the side to face Celta Vigo.
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Eden Hazard went ahead with an ankle operation recently, which rules him out for the foreseeable future. Isco and Luka Jovic are also reportedly unavailable or cast as big doubts, meaning Ancelotti is unlikely to risk the duo.
Toni Kroos, who missed a few days due to an illness, is expected to be back and take his place in the middle of the park. Meanwhile Ferland Mendy and Karim Benzema should return, with the duo likely to be drafted straight into the starting lineup.
Dani Carvajal is the expected start at right-back, with Eder Militao and David Alaba the preferred central defensive pairing against Celta Vigo. Kroos will line up alongside Luka Modric and Casemiro in central midfield. Benzema will lead the line for Real Madrid, with Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior on either side of him in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos; Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius
Key Stats
- Celta Vigo are unbeaten in their last six home games in La Liga.
- Celta Vigo have just one victory in their last six La Liga matches.
- Real Madrid have scored at least two goals in their last 11 matches against Celta Vigo in all competitions.
- Real Madrid are unbeaten in 26 of their last 29 away matches in La Liga.
- Real Madrid have won seven of their last eight matches against Celta Vigo in all competitions.
Player To Watch
Karim Benzema
The enigmatic Frenchman was a big miss for Real Madrid during their home defeat to Barcelona. The striker has again been sensational this season, considering he singlehandedly helped them overcome the deficit against PSG in the UEFA Champions League last month.
With Real Madrid looking comfortable in the La Liga title race, they would want to keep their star striker sharp ahead of their Champions League quarter-finals against Chelsea. In games like the ones against Celta Vigo, Benzema needs to get back into form and provide the sharp edge that would help his team continue dominating the league.
Prediction
Celta Vigo 2-3 Real Madrid
This particular clash has the hallmarks of being a high-scoring encounter. Real Madrid come into the fixture at the back of a heavy El Clasico defeat, which has left them wounded and probably vulnerable at the back. Celta Vigo will be hoping to take advantage and could do so with the firepower provided by Santi Mina and Iago Aspas.
In terms of what’s at stake, Real Madrid will be more determined to get a positive result here, although Celta Vigo have not lost at home in their last six league games. Expect Karim Benzema to have a tremendous impact, helping Real Madrid overcome a tricky Celta side and collect three points away from home.
