19 October 2024. 22:00. Vigo. “Balaids”.
La Liga 2024-25. Day 10
Celtic (Vigo) – Real Madrid
Diffusion : RAINBOWVolia TV
Suspensions : Ilaix Moriba, Iago Aspas (both – Celta)
Injured: Luka de la Torre – Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Brahim Diaz
Celta
After the previous international break, the “Celts” comfortably beat Valladolid (3:1), thus securing their third consecutive home victory of the new season. However, they soon encountered a series of setbacks. First, Claudio Giraldés’ team, whose contract was recently extended, unfairly lost to Athletic in Bilbao, followed by two home games where they dropped points. In a match against Atletico Madrid, the Galicians looked significantly better than their opponents, creating far more chances, but failed to convert them. In particular, they paid the price for a missed opportunity late in the match when Julian Alvarez scored in the final seconds of added time.
A few days before the match against Vigo, Girona visited. A difficult opponent, although less strong than the previous season. With a busy schedule, both coaches had to rotate their squads, resulting in more fighting than football on the field. Near the end of the first half, the visitors took the lead, but after the break the hosts increased the pressure on the opposition defense, only managing to score a goal in response from Iago Aspas . However, Claudio Giraldés’ team managed to break their poor streak by winning away against Las Palmas, with a score of 1:0.
Las Palmas did not show inferiority against their opponent but conceded a goal thanks to the delicate and timely pass from Oscar Mingueza to Borja Iglesias, who scored a new goal for his hometown club after his return during the ‘summer. At the start of the second half, the Galicians saw two players sent off in the space of two minutes – Ilaix Moriba and Iago Aspas – with the referee appearing to act too impulsively and emotionally. It looked like Las Palmas, taking advantage of their strong lead, would quickly come back and ultimately go for their first win of the season, but somehow the score remained unchanged. Thus, Celta secured their first victory away from the current championship.
Real Madrid
The reigning Spanish champions also managed to end a mini-streak of bad luck in their final game before the October international break, but victory over Villarreal barely satisfied anyone within the club royal. Just seconds before the final whistle, while the match was played and the players were mentally preparing for a break or rejoining their national teams, the current captain of the ‘Blancos’, Dani Carvajal, suffered a horrific knee injury appeared out of nowhere. It happened accidentally but had disastrous consequences – a ruptured cruciate ligament and two additional injuries that could leave Dani unable to finish her career, with a return to the field expected in a year at the earliest. I am convinced that if there had been a choice, Carlo Ancelotti would have traded Carvajal for a loss to Villarreal without hesitation. Finding yourself behind against any opponent can always be recovered, but losing one of their key players is a big blow, especially as they are currently short of defenders in Madrid.
As for the match against the Yellow Submarine, Real Madrid won without much difficulty, scoring two unanswered goals. Federico Valverde opened the scoring in the 14th minute, and Vinícius Júnior doubled the team’s lead with a splendid shot in the 73rd minute. Both goals, moreover, came from outside the penalty area. This is how the Madrid team reacted to the unfortunate loss of points in the derby against Atletico at the Metropolitano – a 1:1 draw conceded late in injury time – and the unexpected 0:1 defeat against Lille at away during the second day of the Champions League group stage. Meanwhile, Los Blancos extended their La Liga unbeaten run to 41 games, needing just two more games to equal Barcelona’s record. The 43rd will be an El Clásico against the Blaugrana at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Celta – Real : Predictable Compositions
Celta welcomed back Jailson and Jonathan Bamba, while Luka de la Torre remains the only injured player, having not played a single match since the start of the season. However, due to suspensions, midfielder Ilaix Moriba and Celta legend Iago Aspas will be absent in the upcoming match. For Real, Dani Carvajal, David Alaba and Brahim Diaz will not be available. As previously mentioned, Carvajal’s situation is serious, with the Austrian expected to return to the pitch early next year, while the Moroccan winger will need a week or two.
Celta – Real : Author’s prediction
Real have won nine of their last ten games at Balaídos, posting a six-game winning streak in Vigo. Notably, they only scored fewer than two goals in one of these matches. Meetings after international breaks often prove tricky for the favorites. Currently, Carlo Ancelotti has not yet decided whether he will start Federico Valverde and Rodrygo, who returned from their international commitments later than the others. There are also doubts regarding the form of Thibaut Courtois. On the other hand, several players, including Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé, remained in Madrid during the month of October; a recent media frenzy surrounds Mbappé. I believe that the upcoming match will not be easy for Real, considering that Celta have improved under Claudio Giraldés, but the Madrid team cannot afford to let any points slip before the El Clásico against the leaders of the league. Given certain circumstances, I could anticipate a draw, but I lean towards a victory for the “Blancos” with a margin of one to two goals.
