Athletic Bilbao vs Celta Vigo – News and Probable Lineups

Celta Vigo aims to solidify their hold on sixth place in the La Liga standings as they travel to San Mames on Sunday evening to face Athletic Bilbao.

The visitors currently occupy sixth place, holding a two-point advantage over seventh-placed Getafe, while Athletic sits in 10th, trailing the European spots by four points with just two matches remaining.

Match overview

Athletic’s aspirations for more European football next season have taken a significant blow in recent weeks, having lost three of their last four league matches, including consecutive defeats against Valencia and Espanyol.

The Lions find themselves in ninth place, four points shy of seventh-placed Getafe, which is currently a qualification spot for the Conference League playoff round.

This season has undoubtedly been a challenging one for Athletic, and substantial changes are anticipated this summer, with Ernesto Valverde stepping down as head coach; Edin Terzic has already been announced as his successor.

Athletic finished in fourth position in Spain’s top division last season, securing a spot in the Champions League, but they face the possibility of missing out on European football entirely for next season.

In La Liga this season, the Basque club boasts the 10th-best home record, earning 29 points from 18 matches, while Celta holds the third-best away record, accumulating 30 points from 18 fixtures.

Celta comes into this match following a surprising 3-2 loss to Levante but has enjoyed success in two of their last three matches, having defeated Elche and Atletico Madrid since the beginning of the month.

The Sky Blues are currently sixth in the standings, with a record of 13 wins, 11 draws, and 12 losses from 36 matches, totaling 50 points, which places them two points ahead of seventh-placed Getafe and seven behind fifth-placed Real Betis.

If the situation remains as is, Claudio Giraldez’s side will qualify for the Europa League group stage, marking an improvement from last season’s seventh place.

Celta achieved a 2-0 victory against Athletic in their previous encounter in Vigo earlier this term, but Athletic won 3-1 when the teams faced off at San Mames last season.

Four of the last six league encounters have been claimed by Athletic, and they also lead the overall head-to-head record with 73 wins to Celta’s 37.

Athletic Bilbao La Liga form:

LOL

Celta Vigo La Liga form:

A BOWL

Celta Vigo form (all competitions):

A BOWL

Team News

Athletic will be without Nico Williams, Dani Vivian, and Oihan Sancet due to injuries on Sunday, while Benat Prados and Yuri Berchiche will need assessments.

Inaki Williams started as a central forward against Espanyol last time around, but he is expected to return to a right-sided attacking role here, with Gorka Guruzeta likely leading the line.

Alex Berenguer is poised to feature on the left, with Robert Navarro possibly taking on the number 10 role in Sancet’s absence.

Celta, on the other hand, will be missing both Miguel Roman and Carl Starfelt due to injuries this Sunday evening.

Ferran Jutgla netted twice against Levante last time out, bringing his tally to nine league goals for the season, and he is anticipated to be present again in the final third.

Additionally, Borja Iglesias and Williot Swedberg are expected to return to attacking roles, having come on as substitutes during the second half against Levante.

Athletic Bilbao probable starting XI:

Simon; Gorosabel, Alvarez, Laporte, Lekue; Ruiz de Galarreta, Palace; I Williams, Navarro, Berenguer; the cross

Celta Vigo probable starting XI:

Radu; Alonso, Lago, Rodriguez; Nunez, Lopez, Moriba, Mingueza; Jutgla, Iglesias, Swedberg

Celta has performed strongly away from home this season, whereas Athletic’s campaign has been less impressive — we expect a tightly contested match on Sunday, with Celta likely just managing to clinch all three points.