Celta Vigo vs. Real Madrid: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream, TV Info
Ahh Balaidos, we meet again. We've been waiting for you.
Though officially Balaidos is the home of Real Club Celta de Vigo, right now it's more than that. Currently, Balaidos is Spain's home of footballing madness, an arena in which nothing is off limits and where there is something in the, well, grass.
As recently as March, that wasn't the case, but it is now. This is a venue where several months ago Rayo Vallecano found themselves leading by a goal inside the first minute but trailed by five less than an hour later. A venue where last season the hosts and Real Madrid played a game of "who wants to leave more space in midfield?" A venue where Celta and Las Palmas recently played a game of four on four: three forwards and a goalkeeper each. A venue where only a handful of weeks ago Barcelona launched a tirade on the Celta goal but left with a 4-1 humiliation.
Yep, right now, that's Balaidos for you.
It seems this ground in Vigo has become a place where forwards are given a crate of Red Bull before the game; where midfielders are asked politely to get out of the way; where defenders are instructed to place their brains neatly on the dressing room floor and are sent out on to the pitch blindfolded and handcuffed. Possibly under the influence of hallucinogens, too.
And you know what? It's magnificent. Currently there's nowhere else in La Liga like it. So strap yourself in on Saturday because Real Madrid are headed there. More of the madness is coming.
Or is it?
Had this been Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid travelling to Spain's north-west, the advice would have been to avoid coffee on Saturday—this contest would have been an almighty caffeine hit on its own. But this isn't Ancelotti's Madrid; it's Rafa Benitez's. And Benitez's Madrid is different.
Eleven games into the new season, there's a completely new emphasis evident in Los Blancos under the new boss. Whereas the previous incarnation was a free-wheeling outfit that operated purely on instinct, one that had all guns blazing and a few bow-and-arrows over the shoulder for good measure, the new one has been reined in a little.
Not everyone likes it, though.
While Benitez's Madrid remain undefeated and sit top of the pile in both the league and Europe, the madrileno's critics—of whom there are many—have been vocal, accusing the new manager of taking the most lethal side on the continent and turning it into the D-word that must not be spoken.
Yet, in fairness to Benitez, "defensive" isn't the accurate description for this team. "Measured" might be more appropriate. And as we explained after Wednesday's draw with Paris Saint-Germain, that ain't a bad thing.
Others are noting so as well.
"[Benitez] has found the balance between attack and defence, which makes [Madrid] even stronger," said Celta Vigo boss Eduardo Berizzo at his pre-match press conference on Friday. But he'll know his team is capable of testing that balance, too.
Indeed, Celta Vigo are as hot as they come in La Liga right now. Undefeated in eight games, the league's second-leading scorers, the conquerors of Catalonia's treble winners, Celta look completely capable of barging into this season's top six. Frankly, they look good. Like, seriously good.
Sevilla and Villarreal will vouch for that as well.
Most impressive about the Galicians has been their wonderfully fluid attack. In Iago Aspas, Fabian Orellana and Nolito, Celta have the most entertaining front three in the country, and the latter is probably the league's standout player this season to date. As a trio, they're all flicks and backheels and dummy runs and weaves and dribbles and shots. Goals, too. They're a brilliant bundle of fun.
There's quality in midfield as well with Daniel Wass and Augusto Fernandez, and full-backs Jonny and Hugo Mallo aren't shy either.
There's a reason why this is a top-of-the-table clash.
For Madrid, as they did on Wednesday in Paris, they'll enter this contest significantly depleted by injuries, but it's the newly found dash of conservatism and systematic balance that the visitors can turn to. Indeed, the men from the capital are unlikely to make this a gung-ho duel and will look to bring a sense of order and sanity to a ground where such qualities are typically scarce.
The only bad part? Balaidos might be a little less mad.
Match Details
Date: Saturday, October 24
Time: 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. EDT/4 p.m. local
Venue: Balaidos, Vigo, Spain
TV Info: Sky Sports (UK—delayed broadcast), beIN Sports (U.S.)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), beIN Sports CONNECT (U.S.)
Form Lines
| W: 2-1 vs. Villarreal | D: 0-0 vs. Paris Saint-Germain |
| D: 0-0 vs. Getafe | W: 3-0 vs. Levante |
| D: 1-1 vs. Eibar | D: 1-1 vs. Atletico Madrid |
| W: 4-1 vs. Barcelona | W: 2-0 vs. Malmo |
| W: 2-1 vs. Sevilla | D: 0-0 vs. Malaga |
| D: 3-3 vs. Las Palmas | W: 2-1 vs. Athletic Bilbao |
Team News
For Celta Vigo, there are no injury concerns or suspensions to speak of, and Berizzo confirmed on Friday that his side will go into this game unchanged.
In defence, therefore, we'll see Sergio Alvarez in goal, with Jonny, Sergi Gomez, Gustavo Cabral and Mallo in front of him. In midfield, Pablo Hernandez will join Wass and Fernandez, while the terrific trio will comprise the attack.
For Real Madrid, Sergio Ramos is likely to miss out according to Marca, having suffered pain against PSG in the shoulder he dislocated last month. It's thought he won't be risked. Consequently, Raphael Varane and Nacho could stand alongside one another in the centre of the defence, given that Pepe remains sidelined with injury as well.
In midfield, Luka Modric could return to the starting lineup says Marca, the Croatian likely to be joined by Toni Kroos and Casemiro, while up front Isco and Jese will form the three-man attack with Cristiano Ronaldo in the ongoing absences of Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez.
Predicted Lineups
In the Spotlight
Danilo. The right-back post. The inner battle.
Where do we stand on this? Does anyone know?
When Danilo was signed during the summer from Porto for a rather colossal €31.5 million, it looked as though his transfer would become a hard-luck story for Daniel Carvajal. Though the Spaniard had been excellent, here was a worthy challenger, a player not only capable of taking his place but one whose price tag essentially demanded that he do so.
You don't spend an immense fortune on backup full-backs, basically.
And yet, it's not that quite that straightforward either.
Danilo started the season in the first XI, but injury awarded a chance to Carvajal. Now Carvajal has returned the favour, his injury allowing Danilo to step in again. This is a pair locked in a positional battle but who haven't been able to directly compete yet, their absences stymieing the fight.
For now, the starting berth is Danilo's, and his price tag gives him the upper hand. But if this were a meritocracy, the position wouldn't be his; to date the Brazilian's performances have significantly underwhelmed in white while Carvajal has been typically excellent. It's the Spaniard who should be playing when both are available.
But now Danilo has a golden chance, a chance he must seize. On Saturday he can balance the merit ledger and strengthen his status by getting the better of the perfect opponent: Nolito.
Odds (via Odds Shark)
Celta Vigo: 14-5
Draw: 14-5
Real Madrid: 10-11
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