Celta take on the visitors Lille in the round 7 match of UEFA Europa League – League Phase. The match will be played on Thursday, January 22nd at Estadio de Balaídos (Vigo).
Celta have ambition, even though they are not considered a traditional giant. In recent years, they either narrowly avoided relegation to Segunda or hovered close to the danger zone. Notably, Giráldez also managed to keep the club in La Liga after taking over a crisis-hit side following Benítez. By the end of last season, Celta finished seventh, which was enough to secure a return to the Europa League, while they were also gaining momentum domestically after a slow start marked by many draws and a long winless run, eventually recovering their 2024/2025 form by mid-winter. On the international stage, the team from Vigo began with a defeat to Stuttgart but then produced three consecutive victories. However, they seemed to relax after that, suffering losses not only to Bologna, including a 1-2 home defeat in December, but also earlier away at Ludogorets. Recent results suggest that Celta are still learning how to balance consistency at this level. Their form has fluctuated, but they remain competitive, especially in home matches.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Lille cannot fully focus only on European competition. The Dogs are used to serious achievements, having even pushed PSG off the top spot by winning Ligue 1 not so long ago. Last season, they also performed well in the Champions League playoffs. At the same time, they lacked energy in spring for domestic competition and finished only fifth, behind Nice and Monaco. This season, the competition remains extremely tight, with only PSG and Lens pulling away, so the fight for third place continues. In the Europa League, the results have been decent but inconsistent. Lille managed to beat Brann, Roma, and Dinamo Zagreb, yet suffered the same number of defeats, including losses to PAOK, Crvena Zvezda, and Young Boys. Such mixed results show that Lille often struggle to maintain focus across multiple tournaments. Their recent form indicates quality, but also a tendency to drop points unexpectedly.
The teams previously met in friendly matches in 2019 and 2024, exchanging victories. The home factor could be decisive here. We believe Celta will take advantage of playing at Balaídos and back the hosts with a 0 handicap.
Prediction for the match: Celta Vigo to win with 0.0 handicap.
