Celta take on the visitors Freiburg in the second leg of UEFA Europa League quarterfinals. First leg result: 0-3. The match will be played on Thursday, April 16th at Estadio de Balaídos (Vigo).
Celta were still fighting for survival just two years ago. Back then, the usual trick of changing the coach during the campaign helped them. This time, however, Claudio Giráldez arrived, replacing Rafael Benítez, and delivered not just the minimum required result — in 2024/2025 they climbed to 7th place in La Liga. Their recent form also suggests a team playing with confidence, especially at home, where they have been picking up important results. Even with the added European schedule, they have managed to maintain a competitive level in most matches. Moreover, despite the European workload and a less-than-ideal start, they now have every chance not only to repeat that result but even improve on it. Their return to the UEFA Europa League has been successful: the Spaniards won half of their matches in the main round and reached the playoffs with 13 points. There, they comfortably handled PAOK FC, beating the Greeks twice — just as they had done in autumn. Then came a real sensation: after a 1–1 draw at Balaídos, they confidently beat Olympique Lyonnais 2–0 away.
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Freiburg are trying to succeed on several fronts at once. “The Breisgau Brazilians” last year narrowly missed out on 4th place in the Bundesliga, failing to handle the pressure in the final stretch and finishing a couple of points behind Borussia Dortmund. Recently, their performances have been mixed, as the team struggles to balance domestic and European commitments. Still, they continue to show resilience and remain competitive even in tight matches. This season, such a finish looks unlikely — instead, they are set for a direct battle with Eintracht Frankfurt for 7th place. There is also the cup, where they face VfB Stuttgart in the semi-final. Despite this heavy domestic schedule, they started strongly in the Europa League, suffering their first defeat only in the final round against Lille OSC. As a result, they entered the playoffs only in March, where they overcame KRC Genk — 5–1 at home after a 0–1 loss away. Against the Spaniards, they won convincingly at home straight away, scoring three unanswered goals.
Neither side can be considered regulars in European competitions, so it is no surprise that they met for the first time only last Thursday. Everything regarding the semi-finalist is already clear here. The teams can play without focusing too much on defense — backing over 2.5 total goals looks like the right choice.
Prediction for the match: Over 2.5 scored goals.
