La Liga leaders Barcelona will look to bounce back from a surprising defeat before the international break when they face Celta Vigo away on Saturday night.
Barcelona's 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad last time out was a setback, but they remain six points clear of second-placed Real Madrid at the top of the table. Celta, meanwhile, drew 2-2 with Real Betis in their most recent match.
Celta Vigo have had a mixed season so far, with five wins, two draws, and six losses from their 13 La Liga matches, leaving them in 11th place with 17 points just three points behind sixth-placed Athletic Bilbao.
The Sky Blues have been an exciting side to watch this season, scoring 20 goals, with only Villarreal (23), Real Madrid (25), and Barcelona (40) having better attacking records. However, their defense has been a concern, conceding 22 goals, joint-second worst in the league.
Before the international break, Celta came close to beating Real Betis, leading 2-1 until a late equalizer from Marc Bartra. Despite that, they are unbeaten in their last three matches, including a 1-0 win over Getafe in their last home game. Celta has also managed to win two of their last seven meetings with Barcelona.
After finishing 13th last season, Celta are looking to secure a top-half finish this time around, with some impressive performances from key players in the 2024-25 campaign.
On the other hand, Barcelona have been the best team in La Liga this season, with 11 wins and two losses from 13 matches, sitting comfortably at the top with 33 points. Their surprise defeat to Real Sociedad has allowed Real Madrid to close the gap, but Barcelona still hold a six-point lead.
The Catalans will be eager to get back to winning ways this weekend. They won both of their La Liga meetings with Celta last season, including a 2-1 victory in Vigo. Before the loss to Real Sociedad, Barcelona were on a seven-match winning streak.
Looking ahead, Barcelona will play three games in quick succession against Celta, Brest, and Las Palmas before the end of the month. Their final match before the winter break is a tough one against Atletico Madrid on December 21, and it will be interesting to see how the table shapes up over the coming weeks, especially with Real Madrid still trying to find their best form.
In addition to their league success, Barcelona are also performing well in the Champions League, sitting sixth in the overall table with nine points from four matches, and they are the competition's top scorers with 15 goals so far.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Iago Aspas is currently tied for second on the all-time goal-scoring list in matches between Celta and Barcelona, with 11 goals. He’s just one goal behind Lionel Messi on the La Liga goal-scoring list for this fixture.
If the experienced forward scores a brace this weekend, he would take the top spot. Aspas has been in great form this season, with four goals and three assists in 12 La Liga appearances.
Celta’s injury concerns are mostly unchanged, with Luca de la Torre, Jailson, and Sergio Carreira still doubtful. However, there are no new injury issues reported, so the starting lineup is expected to remain largely the same. There could be one change, though, with Javier Manquillo possibly replacing Mihailo Ristic in the starting XI.
For Barcelona, Robert Lewandowski is set to lead the line after training on Thursday. The striker didn’t play for Poland during the international break due to a back issue but is now ready for action.
Ferran Torres has also returned to training after recovering from a hamstring problem. However, Barcelona will still be without Ansu Fati, Lamine Yamal, Eric Garcia, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Marc Bernal, Andreas Christensen, and Ronald Araujo due to injury.
Dani Olmo is expected to return to the starting lineup after being benched for the Real Sociedad match. Gavi, who’s coming back from a longer absence, is likely to start on the bench to ensure he isn’t rushed back. Aside from these changes, there shouldn’t be any surprises in the Barcelona lineup, with Frenkie de Jong expected to partner the in-form Marc Casado in midfield.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:
Guaita; J Rodriguez, Starfelt, Alonso; Mingueza, Sotelo, Beltran, Manquillo; Bamba, Iglesias, Aspas
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde; Casado, De Jong; Olmo, Pedri, Raphinha; Lewandowski
EXPERT PREDICTION
Celta Vigo 1-2 Barcelona
Celta are more than capable of making things difficult for Barcelona, especially with their strong home form, having won four of their seven league matches at home this season. However, Barcelona have the best away record in La Liga this term, winning six of their eight games. As a result, we’re predicting a hard-fought win for Flick's side.
