Barcelona will be aiming to extend their winning run to three games when they play hosts to Celta Vigo at Camp Nou on Tuesday.
Barcelona’s 2-1 victory over Real Betis saw them secure their place in next season’s UEFA Champions League. But Xavi Hernandez will expect nothing less than a victory on Tuesday when his team takes on Celta Vigo at Camp Nou.
While guaranteeing a top-four finish was indeed a welcome achievement for the Blaugrana, finishing second in the league table could be critical in helping Barcelona re-establish their image as the main competitor for contenders for Real Madrid’s throne. It could also help the club financially ahead of an exciting summer.
After an excellent March, Barcelona had underperformed throughout April. But a promising start to May, thanks to back to back wins over RCD Mallorca and Real Betis has put the Catalans in pole position to finish second in the league table.
However, with Sevilla breathing down their necks, the hosts will have no room for complacency when they take on a Celta Vigo side that are currently dawdling in a mid-table position.
With 43 points on the board, Celta Vigo have no real hopes of finishing inside the top eight. At the same time, they are safe from a late-season relegation drama, making it more or less a dead rubber affair for the visitors, although they will be keen on finishing ahead of Athletic Club and Osasuna by the end of the season. Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over these two sides ahead of their exciting encounter at Camp Nou this Tuesday.
Team News & Tactics
FC Barcelona
The squad for #BarçaCelta! pic.twitter.com/noZehMlTlV
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) May 9, 2022
Despite the win over Real Betis, Barcelona were far from their usual best in the game against Real Betis, leaving Xavi Hernandez disgruntled with many of the first-team players. With that in mind, the Barcelona boss could consider ringing in a few changes for the midweek contest, with Ousmane Dembele one of the players likely to be benched.
Ansu Fati is gunning for a return to the starting eleven. Ferran Torres is likely to settle for a place on the bench too, paving the way for Fati and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to return to the side and form Barcelona’s attacking trifecta alongside Memphis Depay.
That said, it won’t be surprising to see Dembele retaining his place in the side, as Barcelona are not expected to rush Fati back into action. In that case, the Frenchman could continue to occupy the right-wing slot, although Adama Traore is another option.
Things get a bit more interesting in midfield, with Sergio Busquets missing due to a suspension after picking up his tenth yellow card of the season against Real Betis. His suspension comes at a time when Barcelona have Pedri, Nico Gonzalez and Sergi Roberto out injured.
It essentially means the onus will be on Frenkie de Jong to occupy the number six slot. The Dutchman will be tasked with the responsibility of controlling the game in the absence of Busquets while there might be a rare start for Riqui Puig, in light of the injury crisis in the middle of the park.
Puig could operate as the advanced midfielder alongside Gavi, hoping to offer the creative essence in the final third. But they will need to be equally aware of their defensive duties, especially knowing Gerard Pique has been ruled out for this game.
The only defensive change from the side that faced Real Betis could see Marc-Andre ter Stegen replacing Neto in goal after regaining fitness. Dani Alves was another candidate to be benched but with Sergino Dest struggling with injury, the veteran may have to continue at right-back.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): ter Stegen; Alves, Araujo, Garcia, Alba; Puig, de Jong, Gavi; Dembele, Aubameyang, Depay
Celta Vigo
Celta Vigo will not have to deal with a long injury list, with Hugo Mallo likely to be the only player ruled out for this encounter, thus giving coach Eduardo Coudet the luxury to choose from an almost fully fit squad.
Tapia ? ➡️ Brais ? ➡️ Orbelín ⚽️#RCCelta #CidadeDeportivaAfouteza pic.twitter.com/BMrTCnKUhl
— RC Celta (@RCCelta) May 9, 2022
In the wake of the 4-0 win over Alaves, Coudet does not have much reason to tinker with his starting eleven, and he looks to continue with his 4-1-3-2 that can effortlessly turn into a 4-4-2, thus embracing a more narrow setup that will make life difficult for the Barcelona ball-carriers, especially with Pedri being ruled out.
Javi Galan will be the one to watch out for in defence. The left-back has been heavily linked with a summer move to Barcelona, and his attacking qualities at left-back could make life easier for winger Franco Cervi as he looks to make life difficult for the veteran Dani Alves.
Celta Vigo have more firepower in the attack, in the form of Iago Aspas and Thiago Galhardo, with the former bagging 17 goals in the league this term. Brais Mendez, meanwhile, should serve as the right-winger, although Coudet does have players like Nolito, Orbelin Pineda and Augusto Solari as alternatives.
In midfield, the onus will be on Fran Beltran and ex-Barcelona star Denis Suarez to nullify the decimated Barcelona midfield. Renato Tapia remains an alternative for Suarez, though, with the Peruvian offering more defensive qualities that could be integral in helping out the back four led by Nestor Araujo and Joseph Aidoo.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Dituro; Vazquez, Araujo, Aidoo, Galan; Mendez, Beltran, Suarez, Cervi; Aspas, Galhardo
Key Stats
- Barcelona have won just three of their last nine La Liga games against Celta de Vigo (D4 L2), after winning 10 of their previous 14 against them in the competition (D1 L3).
- After the 3-3 draw at Balaidos in the reverse fixture this term, Celta de Vigo could collect points in their two games against Barcelona in a single season in La Liga for the ninth time, previously doing so in 2017/18 (D2).
- Celta de Vigo have won two of their last seven away La Liga games against Barcelona (D1 L4), more wins than in their previous 48 games away from home against the Blaugrana in the competition (W1 D10 L37).
- Barcelona are unbeaten in their 32 La Liga games played on a Tuesday (W22 D10), the best unbeaten record for a team on a specific day in the competition’s history.
- Barcelona have lost two of their last three home La Liga games (W1) – they have lost four games at home in the competition this term, last losing more in 1987/88 (7).
Player to Watch
Frenkie de Jong
This could be an extremely important game for Frenkie de Jong, in the context of his future. While the Dutchman is usually considered as one of the integral parts of the Barcelona setup, his future at Camp Nou has come under the microscope in recent weeks, amid interest from Manchester United, who have appointed his former Ajax coach Erik ten Hag.
Frenkie de Jong is also unhappy with his role in the first team, with Xavi often subbing him off during crucial junctures. It has led to discontent between the player and the manager, and given the way de Jong performed against Real Betis, Barcelona could seemingly entertain the possibility of offloading him in the summer.
Hence, it will be essential for de Jong to perform against Celta Vigo and prove his worth if he is to continue at Camp Nou beyond the summer.
Prediction
Barcelona 2-1 Celta Vigo
Barcelona have looked far from their best in recent weeks. The team has failed to exhibit the class and quality they showed back in March, while the attack has often appeared far too predictable. It has made the job easier for the opponents, which is why the Catalans have dropped countless points lately.
But with Ansu Fati regaining full fitness, coupled with the added home support, Barcelona may have a better shout up against Celta Vigo on Tuesday. However, we expect the Catalans to once again appear vulnerable in defence, especially in dealing with the threat of Iago Aspas and Thiago Galhardo.
