Celta Vigo vs Barcelona prediction, odds and betting tips
Barcelona will be looking to get back on track in La Liga when they face Celta Vigo this weekend.
Find the latest match odds for Celta Vigo vs Barcelona. All odds are provided by our best-reviewed football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.
- Barcelona to win - 19/20 with bet365
- Over 2.5 goals - 4/6 with bet365
- Robert Lewandowski to score any time - 13/10 with bet365
Xavi Hernandez must have felt like a weight was lifted from his shoulders when he revealed last month that he plans to step down as Barcelona manager at the end of the season.
“I want to announce that on June 30 I will not continue as coach of Barcelona,” he said after a 5-3 home defeat by Villarreal at the end of January. “I decided a few days ago, but I think it's time. The club needs a change of dynamic.”
It was a surprise announcement, but anyone familiar with Barcelona will know that coaching the club is one of the most stressful and pressurised jobs in football. Xavi, a legend at the Camp Nou as a player, will appreciate that more than most.
Nevertheless, when he reflects on his tenure Xavi will no doubt look back with pride on the La Liga title he won last season. The former midfielder could yet lift the Champions League trophy this term, with Barcelona set to face Napoli in the round of 16.
Yet there have been disappointments too, chiefly back-to-back group stage exits from Europe’s premier competition in 2021 and 2022.
Meanwhile Barcelona have gone backwards in La Liga this season, so much so that they were in effect out of the title conversation at the midway point.
Some adverse results in recent weeks, including a 3-3 draw with second-bottom Granada at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys last time out, have left Barcelona 10 points adrift of Real Madrid in top spot.
If they carry on like this, Xavi’s side will soon be looking over their shoulder: Athletic Bilbao in fifth are now just five points behind Barcelona in the race for the Champions League.
This weekend’s trip to the Estadio de Balaidos looks eminently winnable on paper, but Barcelona’s inconsistency means their matches are increasingly difficult to predict.
You never know which Barcelona is going to turn up these days, but they should ultimately have too much for Celta Vigo.
The question is beginning to be asked: will Xavi even make it to June 30? Given he has already announced his imminent departure, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the Catalan departs before the end of the season.
A defeat by Napoli in that Champions League tie could be fatal since that tournament represents Barcelona’s last remaining shot at a trophy.
With the first leg scheduled for next Wednesday, Barcelona could do with generating some momentum with a handsome win in La Liga.
Their performance against Granada last weekend left a lot to be desired, not least because their opponents were eight points adrift of safety before the game.
Xavi, a master of control as a player, watched his team deliver a chaotic display against opponents that will surely be in the second division next year.
Barcelona can hardly be any worse against Celta Vigo, who are also battling against the drop. Celta have lost three of their last four games, so Barca should have enough to emerge triumphant on Saturday.
If you were wondering what Rafael Benitez is up to these days, wonder no more. His Celta Vigo side sit just one place and three points outside the relegation zone ahead of this meeting with Barcelona.
Somewhat surprisingly given his reputation as a defensive organiser, Benitez’s side have given up more chances (based on expected goals) than all but four teams in La Liga.
As for Barcelona, they are unrecognisable from the side that only conceded just 20 goals on their way to the title last term.
No team in Europe’s top five leagues has a worst defensive record in 2024, with Barcelona having shipped 23 goals in all competitions.
They are at least managing to put the ball in the back of the net at the other end of the field, having done so 10 times in their last four La Liga outings. That is the best record in the division over that period.
Goals are on the cards in this one.
Robert Lewandowski is one of the best centre-forwards of his generation. He was an integral part of Barcelona’s La Liga success last season, scoring 23 goals to help Xavi’s team claim the prize.
But given he was signed shortly before his 34th birthday, Lewandowski was never going to be one for the long term.
He has continued to score this term, but the Poland international has - by his own admission - been below his best.
Still, Lewandowski remains Barcelona’s primary goal threat and Celta Vigo will have to keep a close eye on him.
Celta, who average the third-lowest possession in La Liga, will sit deep against the side that tops that particular ranking. Lewandowski’s penalty-box prowess will therefore be key for Barcelona.
- Location: Estadio de Balaidos, Vigo, Spain.
- Date and time: Saturday 17 February 2024, 5.30pm.
- How to watch: La Liga TV.
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