Club football is back, LaLiga is back. After the international break, Barça are keen to get back on track following their defeat against Real Sociedad. On Saturday night (9pm), they will face Celta, a team that started LaLiga very well, but whose course has changed a bit. However, they are a very tough team, which is gaining strength in Balaídos.
Two wins from the last five visits to Balaídos
RC Celta's stadium is usually very uncomfortable for visiting opponents. The home fans are very supportive and become one with the players on the pitch, which motivates the players a lot. This difficulty is not an exception for Barça and the statistics clearly show it: only 2 wins in the last 5 visits to Vigo.
The most direct precedent is the match in the second half of last season. The home team was not in a good dynamic, but was able to give the Catalans a hard time. The match was very even, but ended up falling to FC Barcelona in added time, as Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty into a goal and broke the tie.
Barça arrives without Lamine, but with Lewandowski
The Blaugrana team went into the international break with a very bad taste in their mouths. The defeat away to Real Sociedad was their third setback of the season and the feeling was very bad. However, they now have an opportunity to improve their flight and get back on track to victory against Celta.
Hansi Flick travels to Vigo with an expedition made up of 23 players. Lamine Yamal is not among them, although this is no surprise, as Flick had already announced it in a press conference. Despite the loss of the young star, the German coach has recovered Robert Lewandowski and Héctor Fort, both injured before the international break. Also, Kochen, Darvich, Gerard Martín, Sergi Domínguez, Álvaro Cortés and Guille Fernández are travelling with reserve team players.
In the press conference before the game, the Barça coach spoke about the match: "We expect a good game and a good Celta. It is always important to start well after the break and this is our objective." So, as it's normal, the demands are maximum under the German's command.
Celta will not back down in front of its fans
The team from Vigo is having a much more stable season than in the past, finding itself in eleventh place. Under the command of Claudio Giráldez, they have found good sensations, based on associative football and the participation of youth players, in the purest Barça style. They started the championship very well, but they have had several setbacks that have not allowed them to maintain the pace.
Regarding their last matches, Celta has accumulated 2 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw in the last five matches. However, at home they are a very strong team and have won 4 of the 7 matches they have played. It is a statistic that forces the Blaugrana team to come out with the knife between their teeth from the first minute.
In this way, Barça has the opportunity to regain good sensations in a vital part of the season. Before the end of the year, the Blaugrana team will play 8 matches, so winning against Celta is a way of raising the morale of the team. Knowing how to handle these contexts often has a lot to do with winning titles at the end of the season.