Preview: Celta Vigo vs Athletic Bilbao - prediction, team news, lineups

Athletic Bilbao will be bidding to build on a positive result in the Champions League when they continue their La Liga campaign away to Celta Vigo on Sunday afternoon.

The visitors are currently seventh in the La Liga table, one point behind sixth-placed Real Betis, while Celta occupy 10th position, five points off the European spots in Spain's top flight.

Match preview

Celta boast a record of four wins, seven draws and four defeats from their 15 league matches this season, with 19 points leaving them in 10th spot in the table, five points off the top six.

The Sky Blues qualified for the Europa League courtesy of their seventh-placed finish in Spain's top flight last term, and they will enter this match off the back of a European clash, suffering a 2-1 home defeat to Italian side Bologna on Thursday night.

Claudio Giraldez's side are 19th in the overall Europa League table, boasting a record of three wins and three defeats from six matches to collect nine points.

Celta beat Real Madrid 2-0 in their last La Liga match, meanwhile, securing a famous three points at Bernabeu, and they will now be looking to make it back-to-back successes in the league.

The Sky Blues have lost four of their last five matches against Athletic, though, including both La Liga games between the two sides during the 2024-25 campaign.

Athletic were 2-1 winners in the corresponding match between the two sides last season, but their last two losses against Celta - in May 2024 and January 2023 - have come in Vigo.

The Lions were also in European action during the week, holding the European champions Paris Saint-Germain to a goalless draw at San Mames, with the impressive result leaving them 28th in the overall Champions League table, two points outside of the playoff spots.

Ernesto Valverde's side have won two of their last three in the league, meanwhile, including a 1-0 home success over Atletico Madrid last time out.

Athletic have a record of seven wins, two draws and seven defeats from their 16 league matches this season, with 23 points leaving them in seventh spot in the table.

The Lions are some eight points off the Champions League positions at this moment in time, and their lack of goals will need to be addressed in order to push for the top four, having only managed to find the back of the net on 15 occasions in their 16 league games this term.

Celta Vigo La Liga form:

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Celta Vigo form (all competitions):

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Athletic Bilbao La Liga form:

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Athletic Bilbao form (all competitions):

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Team News

Celta remain without the services of Joseph Aidoo and Pablo Duran this weekend through injury, while Bryan Zaragoza is facing a late fitness test, with the attacker's involvement in severe doubt at this stage of proceedings.

Zaragoza was substituted during the Europa League clash against Bologna, and changes are expected from that match, with Iago Aspas and Hugo Alvarez potentially being introduced in forward areas on Sunday.

Head coach Giraldez will be keen to freshen his side against Athletic, but there should be another spot through the middle for Borja Iglesias, who has scored eight times in all competitions during a strong campaign to date.

As for Athletic, Benat Prados, Yeray Alvarez, Unai Egiluz, Maroan Sannadi and Aymeric Laporte are definitely out of the match, while Robert Navarro is a major doubt.

Inaki Williams was back on the bench against PSG in the Champions League following a lengthy spell out with a groin injury, and there is a chance that the experienced attacker could secure some minutes off the bench this weekend.

Nico Williams will be a notable starter in the final third of the field for the Lions, while Gorka Guruzeta is expected to keep his starting role at centre-forward.

Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:

Radu; Alonso, Starfelt, Rodriguez; Rueda, Roman, Moriba, Mingueza; Alvarez, Iglesias, Aspas

Athletic Bilbao possible starting lineup:

Simon; Gorosabel, Paredes, Vivian, Lekue; Ruiz de Galarreta, Jauregizar; Berenguer, Sancet, N Williams; Guruzeta

We say: Celta Vigo 1-1 Athletic Bilbao

Celta have the second-worst home record in La Liga this season, but five of their eight league games on home soil have finished all square, and we are expecting the Sky Blues to be good enough for a point this weekend.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.