AS THE LA LIGA season resumes after the international break, Celta Vigo face the unenviable task of trying to tame title contenders Real Madrid on Saturday. With only one win in their last four, can the home side at least avoid defeat against Los Blancos?
How the bookies view it: Madrid to cruise to win
The bookmakers are clear about the dominance Real Madrid are expected to have in the fixture. They are odds-on favourites to the tune of 3/5 at Bet365 for the away win, and that's understandable considering they have only dropped two points in their last six games. That leaves the home side at a very distant 4/1 outside shot.
Recent head-to-head: Madrid look to extend winning streak
It has been all one-way traffic in the recent head-to-head between the two clubs. Real Madrid have won the last eight meetings on the spin, and the last three have been with a clean sheet. Madrid are unbeaten against Celta Vigo since a 2017 Copa del Rey reverse and they last beat Real Madrid in the top flight in May 2014, by a 2-0 scoreline at home.
Players to watch: Mbappe To Lead The Line
The biggest focus is going to be on the goalscoring exploits of Kylian Mbappé. He had a quiet start to the season but has since ramped things up, scoring in four of his last five La Liga appearances. Interestingly, he has only managed more than one goal in a game once this season. So pushing a Mbappe 2+ goals is a risk, but the Frenchman makes a sensible Anytime Goalscorer option for evens at Paddy Power. With Vinícius Jr and Jude Bellingham nowhere near their respective best this season, Mbappé will carry the scoring weight on his shoulders.
Predicted Lineups
There’s been no news out of the Real Madrid camp regarding any notable injuries from the international break, other than keeper Thibaut Courtois having a niggle. So they should be at full strength, or at least something close. Dani Carvajal is out for the long term though. Celta Vigo had Iago Aspas and IIaix Moriab sent off in their last league game, adding to the absences of Jialson and Luca de la Torre.
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 Jr
Anything else catches the eye?
Goals have been a feature of clashes between the two, with five of the last seven going above 2.5 goals. That trend has been snapped a little, with two of the previous three going under. However, Celta Vigo have been a good attacking side this season and are the fourth-highest top-scoring team in the league.
They have the second-worst defensive record of teams in the top half of the table though, and as Real Madrid average more than two goals per game, there should be plenty of goals in this, enough to be worth pushing over 3.5 goals.
Celta Vigo have a W3 D1 L1 home record and all three wins were against teams in the bottom half of the table. Real Madrid have only posted a W1 D3 record on the road, but half of those games were against current top-seven sides.
This La Liga match between Celta Vigo and Real Madrid will be played on Oct 19, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Celta Vigo vs Real Madrid prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
