The Matchday 20 clash in La Liga between Celta Vigo and Athletic Bilbao will take place on January 19 at the Balaídos Stadium. Celta Vigo vs. Athletic Bilbao: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Predicted lineups for Celta Vigo vs. Athletic Bilbao
Celta Vigo (3-4-3): Vicente Guaita – Marcos Alonso, Carlos Dominguez, Carl Starfelt – Oscar Mingueza, Ilaix Moriba, Franco Cervi, Fran Beltran – Borja Iglesias, Jonathan Bamba, Alfonso Gonzalez.
Athletic Bilbao (4-2-3-1): Unai Simon – Yuri Berchiche, Andoni Gorosabel, Aitor Paredes, Daniel Vivian – Mikel Hauriegi, Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta – Nico Williams, Inaki Williams, Oihan Sancet – Gorka Guruzeta.
Each team's starting lineup from their last match in this tournament is listed.
Celta Vigo
The Galicians suffered a 1-2 defeat away to Rayo Vallecano in the last round. Interestingly, in their last five La Liga matches, the club alternated between home victories and away losses. At home, they secured clean-sheet wins over Mallorca and Real Sociedad (both 2-0). Claudio Giraldez's side sits in 12th place, closer to the European competition zone (6 points) than the relegation zone (8 points).
Defender Marcos Alonso will miss the game due to suspension, while forwards Alfonso Gonzalez and Iago Aspas are out with injuries.
- At least two goals have been scored in 6 of Celta Vigo's last 7 La Liga matches.
- The number "2" appeared in the final score in 5 of the Galicians' last 7 league games.
- The club has not lost in the first half of their last six home La Liga matches (3 wins and 3 draws).
Athletic Bilbao
The Basques enter the upcoming match with a 10-game unbeaten streak in the league, securing 6 wins and 4 draws. In their last six La Liga outings, they have won five times, notably defeating Real Madrid (2-1) and Villarreal (2-0). This successful run in La Liga has helped the team solidify their 4th place position and close the gap to just two points behind Barcelona, who are third.
- Both teams scored in 10 of Athletic Bilbao's last 13 league matches.
- Exactly two or three goals were scored in the Basques' last five La Liga games.
- The number "1" appeared in the final score in 7 of the club's last 8 league matches.
Celta Vigo vs. Athletic Bilbao: Match Prediction
Despite Athletic Bilbao's impressive unbeaten streak in the league, I believe they might fall short in the upcoming match. The Galicians have won three of their last five home encounters against Athletic Bilbao in La Liga, drawing one and losing only once. During these five visits, the club from Bilbao managed to score just two goals.
Additionally, the Basques have not won four times in their last six away La Liga matches (3 draws and 1 loss). Meanwhile, Celta Vigo is a formidable opponent at home, having lost only twice in their last 16 home league games (10 wins and 4 draws). Notably, their only defeats in this period came against Real Madrid (1-2) and Atletico Madrid (0-1).
My prediction: Celta Vigo with a handicap (0)