Real Madrid take on the visitors Celta in the round 15 match of Spanish LaLiga. The match will be played on Sunday, December 7th at Estadio Santigo Bernabeu, Madrid.
Real Madrid are quite a specific project, where recently the only coach who stayed for a long period was Ancelotti. Even he was removed at the end of spring, not being allowed to lead the team at the Club World Cup — Real had lost confidence in Carlo, and there were reasons for that: in spring they lost to Arsenal in the Champions League and to Barcelona in all domestic competitions. As a result, Xabi Alonso returned to Madrid as head coach. He lost to PSG at the Club World Cup in summer, then suffered a 2–5 defeat to Atletico in the new La Liga season, and the atmosphere clearly felt tense. But overall, the team managed to win most matches, including beating the Catalans in El Clásico. November, however, brought trouble: a loss to a struggling Liverpool and dropped points against Rayo Vallecano and Elche. In the Champions League they did win against Olympiacos, but only by one goal. After another setback — a 1–1 draw with Girona that cost them the top spot in the league — talks began about Xabi Alonso’s possible dismissal. But this week they defeated Athletic 3–0. Despite the turbulence, Real Madrid remain competitive and often control matches even in difficult stretches. Their ability to deliver strong responses after setbacks indicates that the team still maintains a high baseline level.
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Celta are trying to match their fairly high standards. The Galicians wanted to put an end to their constant relegation battles, and invited the experienced Benítez hoping for progress. But improvement did not come under Rafa, who disappointed in Vigo, and only arrived with his successor, the relatively unknown Giraldez. Last season Claudio and his players collected 55 points and finished in 7th place. This allowed them to return to the Europa League. They began that campaign with a loss to Stuttgart, but then started winning. They slowed down against Ludogorets and ended up losing 2–3. Domestically, the start was much more difficult: a couple of defeats and a whole streak of 1–1 draws. Only at the end of October did they finally win, and after that more positive results followed. They did, however, lose last weekend to Espanyol, who are fighting for European spots. And this week, in the cup match against Sant Andreu, they did not impress either: after a 1–1 draw they advanced only on penalties. Celta’s recent form remains inconsistent, with the team alternating solid performances with unexpected setbacks. Their away results, in particular, have yet to show the stability needed to challenge top sides.
In the last 16 meetings, the Galicians managed to hold Real Madrid to a draw only twice. And even then, earlier this year in the cup, their 2–2 in extra time turned into a 2–5 defeat. All the advantages are on the side of the hosts. The bet is on their victory with a “-1.5 goals” handicap.
Prediction for the match: Real Madrid to win with -1.5 handicap.
