Celta Vigo will be looking to make it three straight wins in the league when they host Hansi Flick’s Barcelona on Sunday night.
Barcelona will be looking to return to winning ways when they hit the road to square up against an in-form Celta Vigo side at Balaidos. The Blaugrana dropped points in the UEFA Champions League earlier this week, and they will be eager to get things back on track in this fixture.
The home team are 12th on the table with 13 points in their 11 outings, with two wins, seven draws and two defeats. After a run of nine games without a win, Celta Vigo have now won each of their last two league outings.
The Galician outfit are on a five-match winning streak across competitions, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of a clinical 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League. While they did not have the best of starts to the season, the Celestes have certainly been on a roll of late.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are second on the points table with 25 points in their 11 outings, thanks to eight wins, one draw and two defeats. After seven straight wins in La Liga, the Catalan giants have now lost two out of their last four league outings. Following their defeat to Real Madrid, the Blaugrana did return to winning ways against Elche, but they are heading into this fixture on the back of a 3-3 draw against Club Brugge.
Hansi Flick will be hoping for a much-improved performance from his team, as they cannot afford to drop any more points in the league with Real Madrid already five points clear at the top. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Celta Vigo
The home team will be without the services of Williot Swedberg (ankle) and Javi Rueda (muscular) because of their fitness issues. Meanwhile, Hugo Alvarez and Ionut Andrei Radu will also miss out on this fixture.
Celta Vigo will line up in a 3-4-3 formation, where Ivan Villar will be in goal. In the heart of the defence, Javi Rodríguez will start alongside Carl Starfelt and Marcos Alonso. Oscar Mingueza and Sergio Carreira will feature as the full-backs. While they will look to join the attack on occasion, the wide duo will try to keep the Barcelona wide players in check.
As for the midfield unit, Fran Beltran will pair up with Ilaix Moriba in the double pivot in th emiddle of the pitch. The Celta Vigo midfield duo will look to ensure Barcelona do not dominate the ball too deeply in their half.
Ferran Jutgla and Bryan Zaragoza will feature on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. Finally, Borja Iglesias will spearhead the Celta Vigo attack against Barcelona at Balaidos this weekend.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Villar; Rodriguez, Starfelt, Alonso; Mingueza, Beltran, Moriba, Carreira; Jutgla, Iglesias, Zaragoza
Celta Vigo vs Barcelona Predicted XI
Barcelona
The visitors remain without the services of Marc-Andre ter Stegen (back), Gavi (knee), Pedri (thigh), and Raphinha (hamstring). Andreas Christensen and Joan Garcia have made significant progress in their recovery, and they could be a part of the squad for this fixture. Meanwhile, Eric Garcia could also be unavailable with a suspected broken nose.
Barcelona will continue to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Wojciech Szczesny will continue in goal. Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde should be the full-backs, while Ronald Araujo could pair up with Pau Cubarsi in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Marc Casado could start alongside Frenkie de Jong in the double pivot in the centre of the park. The duo will not only shield the backline but also look to control the tempo of the game.
Fermin Lopez should continue in the number ten role, with Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford featuring on the flanks. Finally, while Robert Lewandowski is back fit, Ferran Torres could still be the one leading the line for Barcelona in this fixture against Celta Vigo.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde; Casado, De Jong; Yamal, Fermin, Rashford; Torres
Celta Vigo vs Barcelona Predicted XI
Key Stats
Barcelona have won 74 out of the last 134 games against Celta Vigo, who have won 28 of those fixtures.
The two teams last met each other in April 2025, when Barcelona scripted an incredible 4-3 win after being 3-1 down.
The last five clashes between the two teams have resulted in goals at both ends.
Celta Vigo are unbeaten in their last eight outings across competitions, winning each of their last five.
Barcelona are looking to avoid three straight defeats away from home in La Liga for the first time since December 2002.
Player to Watch
Fermin Lopez
Embed from Getty Images
While the 22-year-old is not a regular starter for Barcelona, he certainly makes the most out of the limited opportunities that he gets. In just 664 minutes of first-team action spread across ten appearances this season, Lopez has six goals and four assists.
With Barcelona struggling with injuries, the young Spaniard has started each of their last four fixtures, and he has certainly made it count. The 22-year-old has four goals and four assists, averaging two goal contributions per game. He will certainly be the one to watch out for in this fixture.
Prediction
Celta Vigo 0-3 Barcelona
Barcelona will be desperate to return to winning ways when they travel to face an in-form Celta Vigo side on Sunday night. Hansi Flick’s men have dropped points in two of their last four league outings, and after a frustrating 3-3 draw against Club Brugge, the Blaugrana will be eager to deliver a commanding response.
Celta Vigo, meanwhile, have turned their fortunes around in recent weeks, going eight games unbeaten across competitions. Their recent 3-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb showcased their growing confidence, but facing Barcelona will be a different challenge altogether.
While the Celestes might look to frustrate the visitors early on, Barcelona’s superior quality and experience should ultimately make the difference The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for Hansi Flick and his charges.