Real Madrid aim for back-to-back La Liga wins as they face Celta Vigo at Estadio Municipal de Balaidos on Saturday. Currently second in the table with 21 points, Los Blancos will seek to capitalize on Celta’s eighth-place standing, having gathered 13 points.
Match Preview
Celta Vigo have enjoyed a solid start to the season, netting 16 goals, with only Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Villarreal scoring more. However, their defense has been shaky, conceding 15 goals. After a 1-0 win over Las Palmas, the Sky Blues hope to leverage their strong home record against a Madrid team that has struggled away, managing only one win from four matches.
Historically, Celta have struggled against Real Madrid, losing their last eight league encounters, with their last victory over Los Blancos coming over a decade ago.
Real Madrid
Despite mixed performances early in the season, Madrid sits only three points behind Barcelona. They recently defeated Villarreal 2-0 but were held to a draw by Atletico and lost to Lille in the Champions League. With key matches against Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona looming, a win against Celta is crucial.
Kylian Mbappe has adjusted well to his new team, scoring five league goals, while Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo have each netted three.
Team News
Celta will miss Iago Aspas and Ilaix Moriba due to suspension, along with Jailson and Luca de la Torre. Carl Starfelt is expected to return, while Pablo Duran and Franco Cervi may feature in the starting lineup.
Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois remains a doubt, with Andriy Lunin likely to continue in goal. Eder Militao and Vinicius are set to return, while Dani Carvajal is out for the season. Lucas Vazquez will fill in at right-back.
Predicted Lineups:
Celta Vigo: Guaita; Manquillo, Starfelt, Alonso; Mingueza, Beltran, Cervi, Alvarez; Duran, Iglesias, Swedberg
Real Madrid: Lunin; Vazquez, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius
With Celta missing key players and Real Madrid eager to secure a vital away win, Carlo Ancelotti’s side is favored to take all three points in this matchup.
