Having been knocked out of the UEFA Champions League, Barcelona will be eager to return to winning ways when they host Celta Vigo. They will be looking to avoid any slip-ups and wrap up the league title as soon as possible.
The home team are top of the table with 79 points in their 31 outings. The Blaugrana have won 26 league games so far and are heading into this one on the back of seven league wins in a row. Hansi Flick’s team are nine points clear of second-placed Real Madrid and well in control of the title race.
However, they are heading into this fixture on the back of a massive setback in the UEFA Champions League at the hands of rivals Atletico Madrid. Despite winning the second-leg 2-1, they got kicked out with an aggregate score of 3-2. They will be hoping to put it behind them against Celta Vigo.
The visitors are sixth on the points table with 44 points in their 31 outings. While they are well placed to secure a European spot, Celta Vigo have not been in the best of form of late.
The Galician outfit have only won one out of their last five league outings and are heading into this fixture on the back of three consecutive defeats. They lost home and away to SC Freiburg in the Europa League and lost 3-0 to Real Oviedo in La Liga.
Celta Vigo will have to put up a much-improved performance to stand a chance against the Catalan giants. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Barcelona remain without the services of Andreas Christensen (ligament), and Raphinha (hamstring), while Marc Bernal (ankle) will undergo a late fitness test.
The Catalan giants will stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Joan Garcia will be in goal. Jules Kounde and Joao Cancelo will feature as the full-backs. Meanwhile, Pau Cubarsi will pair up with Eric Garcia at the heart of the defence.
The back four will be eyeing a clean sheet, and they will receive significant support from Frenkie de Jong and Pedri, who will form the double pivot in the middle of the park. Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez will feature on the flanks, while Dani OImo will take up the number ten role. Ferran Torres is expected to lead the line for Barcelona against Celta Vigo this week..
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Cancelo; de Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Fermin; Torres
The visitors will be without the services of Miguel Roman (broken foot), but they do have a boost as Javi Rodriguez is back after serving a suspension, while Carl Starfelt has recovered from a back issue.
Celta Vigo will line up in a 3-4-1-2 formation, where Ionut Radu will be in goal. The back three will be made up of Marcos Alonso, Carl Starfelt, and Javi Rodriguez. The trio will certainly have a difficult time keeping the star-studded Barcelona attack quiet, but they will receive adequate support from Oscar Mingueza and Sergio Carreira, who will take charge as wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Ilaix Moriba will partner with Matias Vecino in the centre of the park. The duo will look to ensure Barcelona midfielders do not run the show. Fer Lopez will take up the number ten role, while Borja Iglesias and Ferran Jutgla will lead the attack for the visitors.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Radu; Alonso, Starfelt, Rodriguez; Carreira, Moriba, Vecino, Mingueza; Lopez; Iglesias, Jutgla
Despite all his efforts, Yamal was not able to guide Barcelona into the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League. But given the kind of form he has been in, the 18-year-old will certainly have a big say on the end result of this fixture.
He has 23 goals and 18 assists in his 44 outings. He contributed towards three goals in their last league outing against Espanol and carried that form into the Atletico Madrid game. There are high chances of the Spaniard being on the scoresheet in this fixture as well.
Barcelona head into this fixture with momentum firmly on their side in La Liga, and despite the recent Champions League setback, they remain in complete control of the title race. Hansi Flick’s men have been relentless in the league, and playing at home against an out-of-form opponent, they will be expected to dominate possession and dictate the tempo from the very start.
Celta Vigo do have a respectable away record, but their recent dip in form makes this a very difficult challenge. While they could look to stay compact and hit on the counter, containing Barcelona’s attacking firepower over 90 minutes seems unlikely.
Given the hosts’ consistency in the league and the visitors’ struggles, Barcelona should have enough to secure a comfortable win and take another step towards the title. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for the home team.
