Spanish La Liga - RCD Espanyol VS Celta Vigo Prediciton
Spanish La Liga - RCD Espanyol VS Celta Vigo
Match Time:01-12-2024 01:30 Saturday (GMT+8)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips
Espanyol
The head coach of the "Periquitos", Manolo Gonzales, finds himself at a pivotal moment in his tenure. Rumors suggest that the club’s management is unhappy with recent performances and has given him two crucial matches to turn the tide – the derby against Girona and the upcoming clash with Celta in Barcelona. It is said that two losses could see Gonzales out of a job. The recent derby ended in utter disappointment as they fell to Girona 1-4, with the match essentially decided within the first third after conceding four goals. Although Javi Puado netted one back early in the second half, Espanyol appeared much more composed after the break, but the miraculous turnaround never came.
Thus, it seems that the upcoming match against Celta could very well mark Gonzales's last stand as the head coach of Espanyol, should they fail to secure a victory. It's worth noting that the Catalans have only managed to win at home, with narrow emotional victories of 2-1 over Rayo Vallecano, 3-2 against Alaves, and 2-1 over Mallorca. However, they suffered three home defeats – 0-1 to Real Sociedad, 1-2 to Villarreal, and 0-2 to Sevilla. Away from home, the Periquitos have suffered six losses in seven matches, managing only a goalless draw against Atletico Madrid. The recent string of poor results has seen Espanyol slip into the relegation zone, although on points lost, they are ahead of Las Palmas and remain close to both Alaves and Getafe.
Celta
In contrast, Celta have presented a stronger and more entertaining squad this season compared to their upcoming adversary. Another key characteristic of the Galicians has been their performance at home. At Balaídos, Claudio Giraldas's team plays with flair against any opponent, while their away performances have often fallen flat, both in terms of results and overall quality of play. Yet, the Celestes notched up one away victory – astonishingly holding onto a slim lead against Las Palmas while reduced to nine men, winning 1-0. This victory followed three consecutive defeats, 3-4 at Villarreal, 2-3 in Pamplona, and 1-3 in Bilbao. After their successful getaway to the Canary Islands, Celta dropped the ball in Leganés (0-3) and barely managed to hold onto a draw against Betis (2-2) with a last-minute equalizer conceded in Seville before the international break.
Regarding their home performances, Celta secured three consecutive wins at the beginning of the season against Alaves, Valencia, and Valladolid. However, they suffered a painful 0-1 defeat to Atletico in their fourth game. Following that, they witnessed disappointing draws with Girona and losses against Real Madrid, but at the start of November, the Galicians did manage to win against Getafe. Last weekend, they pulled off a mini miracle, staging a swift comeback against Barcelona. Despite Barcelona establishing a two-goal lead through individual brilliance, Celta fought back after a red card on 82 minutes left the visitors shorthanded. A mistake from Jules Koundé allowed Alfonso González to equalize at 2-2 in the dying moments, denying La Liga leaders a win.
Espanyol vs Celta Vigo Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
Espanyol and Celta Vigo are on an even footing as far as the head-to-head record is concerned and have won 14 matches apiece out of the 40 games played between the two teams.
Espanyol have won only two of their last 15 matches against Celta Vigo in La Liga and have played out eight draws against them during this period.
Celta Vigo are unbeaten in five of their last seven matches away from home against Espanyol in La Liga and won their previous such game in March 2023 by a 3-1 margin.
Celta Vigo have won 37 of their 106 matches against Espanyol in La Liga - they have won more matches only against Sevilla in the history of the competition.
Espanyol have lost seven of their last eight matches in La Liga
Espanyol possible starting lineup:
J Garcia; Tejero, El Hilali, S Gomez, Cabrera, Romero; Carreras, Aguado, Kral, Puado; Veliz
Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:
Guaita; J Rodriguez, Starfelt, Alonso, Mingueza; Alvarez, Beltran, Moriba, Bamba; Douvikas, Aspas
Prediction: Espanyol 1-2 Celta Vigo
Celta have only won once on their travels in La Liga this term, but the Sky Blues have so much talent in the final third of the field, and we are backing them to record a narrow win over an out-of-form Espanyol outfit.
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