September 29, 2024. 15:00. Vigo. “Balaids”.
The League 2024-25. Matchday 8.
Celtic (Vigo) vs Girona
Where to watch: RAINBOWVolia TV
Suspensions: None
Injuries: Oscar Mingueza, Mykhailo Rystych, Luka de la Torre – Ricard Artero, Justin
Celta
The Galicians have won their first three home matches of the new season, confidently defeating Alavés (2:1), Valencia (3:1), and Valladolid (3:1). Notably, the first two victories were hard-fought. Last week, the Celts almost secured another victory at Balaídos, this time against a much stronger opponent, Atlético Madrid, but somehow ended up suffering a bitter loss.
In that match, Claudio Giráldez’s team even outperformed the favorites and created triple the number of quality chances at the opponent’s goal. However, each time, either the final touch was lacking, or Jan Oblak was in excellent form. After a frustrating goalless stalemate seemed inevitable for the hosts, Atlético capitalized on a counter-attack in the dying moments, leading to a goal from Julián Álvarez. A scene reminiscent of their previous encounter in Bilbao where Atlético snatched victory from Athletic.
Despite the defeat, neither Claudio Giráldez nor his players should feel ashamed. The Celts gave their all and did nearly everything right, except for finding the net. This loss marked Celta’s fourth of the current season, and in terms of disappointment, it can be compared to their first defeat – 3:4 against Villarreal away. In that match, the Galicians had moments at equal scores during injury time but failed to convert them, leading to a penalty conceded in the final seconds, resulting in defeat. Celta also faced two other losses in Pamplona and Bilbao, losing 2:3 and 1:3, respectively.
Girona
The Catalans last tasted victory before the September international break. After a draw away with Betis and a 0:3 defeat in Madrid to Atlético, Michel’s team crushed Osasuna 4:0 at home, followed by a 2:0 away win against Sevilla. However, the following three matches ended in losses for the rojiblancos, two of which were quite predictable. First, Girona lost 1:4 to Barcelona at home, and then suffered a narrow defeat against PSG in Paris, conceding a last-minute goal due to a serious error from their goalkeeper. Nevertheless, Paulo Gazzaniga made several crucial saves before that goal. On the flip side, it was the second match of the season where his errors led to conceding goals.
The previous weekend marked their third defeat. The rojiblancos fell to Valencia away, a team that previously had no victories. A plausible explanation for the Catalans may be the fact that they fielded a semi-reserve squad, with both goals conceded coming from deflected shots off Juanpe just two minutes apart. Girona has not lost more than three consecutive matches under Michel yet, and they maintained that trend, but instead of the expected home victory over Rayo Vallecano, they settled for a goalless draw. As a result, Michel’s team has failed to score in the last three matches and will try to break this streak at Balaídos.
Celta vs Girona: Author’s Prediction
Last season, Girona won twice against Celta, both matches finishing 1:0. Notably, the second victory at Balaídos marked Girona’s first away win over the Galicians in La Liga. However, last season was full of firsts for them in club history. As for the upcoming encounter, the well-deserved favorite is Claudio Giráldez’s team, which currently sits slightly higher in the league table. The loss to Atlético was an unfortunate coincidence, and the Celts will aim to prove that in this match. While I can’t be 100% sure of a Celta victory, I dare to predict such an outcome for the match.
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