The Matchday 33 La Liga clash between Celta Vigo and Villarreal will take place on April 23 at the Balaidos Stadium in Vigo. Celta Vigo vs. Villarreal: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Celta Vigo
Claudio Giraldez's side had a rough time in their last two La Liga outings. They first lost 0-2 at home to Espanyol and then suffered a 3-4 defeat away to Barcelona. Notably, the Galicians could have taken points from the Catalans but conceded the decisive goal in the 8th minute of added time. Currently, they sit eighth in the standings, and maintaining this position would qualify them for the Conference League.
- No more than three goals were scored in 7 of Celta Vigo's last 9 league matches.
- Before their recent two defeats, the club had an unbeaten run of eight games in La Liga (5 wins and 3 draws).
- Both teams scored in 11 of the last 14 matches involving the Galicians in La Liga.
Predicted lineup for Celta Vigo (4-4-2)
Vicente Guaita – Joel Lago, Marcos Alonso, Javi Rodriguez, Sergio Carreira – Williot Swedberg, Fran Beltran, Ilaix Moriba, Iker Losada – Pablo Duran, Borja Iglesias.
Villarreal
The Valencians continue to hold onto the fifth spot in the standings, which this season allows entry into the Champions League. With a game in hand, they can still catch up with Athletic, who are fourth, five points ahead of Imanol Alguacil's team. Villarreal's current unbeaten run in La Liga is four matches, comprising two wins and two draws. Notably, in their last three La Liga matches, they faced direct competitors in the standings and collected five points: draws with Athletic (0-0) and Real Sociedad (2-2), and a win over Betis (2-1).
- The club has not lost in 10 of their last 12 league games (6 wins and 4 draws).
- A maximum of three goals were scored in 8 of Villarreal's last 9 La Liga matches.
- The team has not conceded in the second half in their last six La Liga matches.
Predicted lineup for Villarreal (4-4-2)
Luis Junior – Sergi Cardona, Kiko Femenia, Logan Costa, Juan Foyth – Santi Comesaña, Dani Parejo, Yeremi Pino, Denis Suarez – Thierno Barry, Ayoze Perez.
Defender Sergi Cardona will miss the match due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Referee
Javier Alberola Rojas (Spain)
Matches – 16 (La Liga, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 49;
Average yellow cards per match – 3.1;
Red cards shown – 4;
Average fouls per match – 27;
Penalties – 38%.
Celta Vigo vs. Villarreal: Match Prediction
Last week, La Liga secured an additional spot in the next Champions League edition. Therefore, the Valencians only need to maintain their current fifth position, which should be manageable as their main competitor is Betis. However, they cannot afford to drop points against lower-ranked opponents, as this could erode their advantage over the Sevillians.
In the upcoming match, I slightly favor Villarreal. In their last six away La Liga matches, the Valencians have lost only once, securing four wins and one draw. Meanwhile, Celta Vigo dropped points in their last two home league matches against Las Palmas and Espanyol, who are lower in the standings. Additionally, Villarreal has not lost to the Galicians in 6 of their last 7 La Liga encounters (4 wins and 2 draws).
My prediction – Villarreal to win or draw