Preview: Celta Vigo vs Valencia - prediction, team news, lineups

Both Celta Vigo and Valencia will be bidding to start 2026 on a positive note when they lock horns in Spain's top flight on Saturday afternoon.

Celta are seventh in the La Liga table, five points behind sixth-placed Real Betis, while Los Che are 17th, one point outside of the relegation zone.

Match preview

Celta have a record of five draws, eight defeats and four defeats from their 17 league matches this season, with 23 points leaving them in seventh spot in the table, five points behind sixth-placed Real Betis on the same number of games.

The Sky Blues finished 2025 with a goalless draw against Real Oviedo, and too many stalemates have cost them a spot higher up the division at this stage of the season.

Claudio Giraldez's side finished seventh in Spain's top flight last term, and it is expected that the Vigo outfit will claim a similar spot this season.

Celta have only actually won once at home in La Liga this season, but Valencia are yet to triumph on their travels, with Los Che having the second-worst away record in the division during the 2025-26 campaign.

The corresponding match last season ended in a 3-1 win for Celta, but Valencia recorded a 2-1 victory when the pair last locked horns at Mestalla in February 2025.

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Valencia have had a tough campaign to date, with Los Che only managing to pick up 16 points from their 17 matches, which has left them down in 17th spot in the table.

Carlos Corberan's side are only one point above the relegation zone, and they have struggled in the final third of the field this season, only scoring 16 times.

Valencia ended 2025 with a 1-1 draw against Mallorca, and their last two wins have come in the Copa del Rey - the team's last success in Spain's top flight was a 1-0 victory over Levante on November 21.

Los Che finished 12th in Spain's top flight last season, so there was room for improvement this term, but the team are instead nervously looking over their shoulder, having struggled for consistency.

Valencia have tackled Celta on 133 previous occasions and comfortably lead the overall head-to-head record, boasting 64 wins to Celta's 36.

Celta Vigo La Liga form:

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Celta Vigo form (all competitions):

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Valencia La Liga form:

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Valencia form (all competitions):

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Team News

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Celta will be without the services of Manuel Sanchez due to suspension, while a back problem is again expected to keep Borja Iglesias on the sidelines.

Carlos Dominguez, Pablo Duran, Mihailo Ristic and Hugo Sotelo will also need to be assessed ahead of the team's first match of 2026.

Ferran Jutgla has only found the back of the net on two occasions in La Liga this season, but there is again expected to be a spot in the final third of the field for the Spaniard.

As for Valencia, Stole Dimitrievski (thigh) and Eray Comert (muscle) both need to be assessed ahead of the clash with Celta.

Javi Guerra was a second-half substitute in the team's final game of 2025 against Mallorca, but the Spaniard is expected to come back into the XI here.

Meanwhile, there should be a spot in the final third of the field for Hugo Duro, who has netted six times in La Liga during the 2025-26 campaign.

Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:

Radu; Fernandez, Starfelt, Alonso; Rueda, Beltran, Roman, Carreira; Swedberg, Jutgla, Zaragoza

Valencia possible starting lineup:

Agirrezabala; Correia, Tarrega, Copete, Gaya; Rioja, Guerra, Pepelu, Almeida; Duro, Beltran

We say: Celta Vigo 2-1 Valencia

Celta have been poor at home this season, but Valencia have been very disappointing on their travels, so this is a tough match to predict.

It would not be a surprise to see a draw on Saturday, but we have a feeling that Celta will shade a close game.

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