Atletico Madrid vs Celta Vigo
Celta Vigo are on the cusp of securing European football for the second consecutive year. After qualifying for the Europa League last season with a surprising seventh-place finish in the La Liga table, this year they’ve outdone themselves thus far, as they are sixth in the standings with 47 points.
If Claudio Giraldez’s side stays in sixth place, they’ll be in the Europa Conference League – a step down from where they were earlier this season. Following their 3-1 win over Elche last time out, Celta Vigo still have some catching up to do if they want to be back in the Europa League, as they’re six points behind fifth-seeded Real Betis.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid are fuming after their 1-0 second-leg loss to Arsenal yesterday, dashing their Champions League hopes. Diego Simeone’s side remains fourth in La Liga with 63 points after back-to-back wins against Athletic Bilbao and Valencia.
Talking Points
Atletico Madrid avoid injury blow
Julian Alvarez had to come off the pitch after the hour mark during Atletico Madrid’s 1-0 second-leg loss to Arsenal, as the Argentine striker picked up a knock. This raised concerns among fans, but his medical tests have eased those fears.
Given the short turnaround between last night’s match and this weekend’s match against Celta Vigo, there’s a huge possibility that head coach Diego Simeone will rotate his team. Alvarez could be relegated to the bench in favour of Alexander Sorloth, who has scored 11 of his last 12 competitive goals on home soil. Sorloth could have either Antoine Griezmann or Thiago Almada as his strike partner in the team’s 4-4-2 formation. Furthermore, Los Rojiblancos are set to be without midfielders Nicolas Gonzalez and Pablo Barrios again.
Atletico Madrid are planning to vent their ire on Celta Vigo, as they feel that they got the raw end of the deal in the officiating last night. They had two appeals for a spot kick in the second half that were not granted. First was when Gabriel Magalhaes brought down Giuliano Simeone, and second was when Riccardo Calafiori bundled Griezmann over in the area.
Iglesias could return to Celta Vigo’s starting lineup
Celta Vigo ended their three-game slide with a timely win over Elche, as Hugo Alvarez, Iago Aspas, and Borja Iglesias scored one goal each in front of their home crowd in Estadio Abanca Balaidos. Alvarez notched his fourth goal of the campaign, while Aspas and Iglesias scored their fifth and 13th goals.
Iglesias is Os Celestes’ top scorer this year, and the 33-year-old striker came off the bench against Elche to put the final nail in the coffin. His 85th-minute goal marks successive appearances in which he has found the back of the net, following an eight-game stretch without a goal. His 13 goals over 31 appearances are his most in a single La Liga campaign since he scored 15 times for Real Betis in 2022-23.
History
The last two La Liga matches between Atletico Madrid and Celta Vigo have been 1-1 draws. During their last such game in October, Iago Aspas scored the equaliser in the 68th minute after going down early because of Carl Starfelt’s own goal. Atletico Madrid were notably reduced to 10 men when Clement Lenglet received his marching orders in the 40th minute.
Atletico Madrid have been superb at home in La Liga this season, notching 14 wins from their 17 games at Riyadh Air Metropolitano (D1, L2). Los Rojiblancos are on the brink of securing a 14th straight Top 4 finish, despite missing out on silverware yet again.
Celta Vigo have caused plenty of upset results away from home this La Liga season. However, only once they’ve beaten a currently higher-ranked team (D4, L4), beating Real Madrid 2-0 in December.
Betting Tip
The La Liga 2026 odds expect Atletico Madrid to beat Celta Vigo this Saturday, albeit via fine margins. Los Rojiblancos have the edge at 2.01, while Os Celestes are not far behind at 3.25, and a draw is at 3.38 in the 1X2 market.
Fans at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano shouldn’t expect too many La Liga 2026 highlights, but they should do just enough to get three more points. Besides rooting for an Atletico Madrid victory, SBOTOP punters may also want to add Under 3.00 at 1.70, Under 2.75 at 1.97, Under 2.50 at 2.19, and even Total Goal 2-3 at 2.03 to the parlay. If you think these two will share the spoils for the third straight time, the Correct Score of 1-1 offers a tidy payday of 6.60 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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