Atletico Madrid vs Celta Vigo

Metropolitano Stadium sets the stage for a lopsided La Liga clash between Atletico Madrid and Celta Vigo. 

Atletico Madrid’s pursuit of a 14th consecutive Champions League group stage appearance is back on track after back-to-back wins against Athletic Bilbao and Mallorca fired them six points above fifth-placed Bilbao. With only four rounds left, Los Rojiblancos are on the verge of another top-four finish. They can draw confidence from their near-flawless La Liga record at the Metropolitano Stadium (W15, D1, L1) to inspire them to another crucial win. After losing to Barcelona in mid-March, Diego Simeone’s men have won two consecutive home league games by an identical 3-1 scoreline, netting on either side of halftime on each occasion. Delivering action from the get-go, they’ve secured a halftime lead in a league-high ten home matches in 2023/24, highlighting the potential for a quick-fire start.

On the other hand, Celta Vigo’s revival under new manager Claudio Giraldez (W3, D1, L2) accounts for nearly 50% of their La Liga wins this season (3/8) as they seem to have weathered the storm in the lower reaches. Last weekend’s 3-2 home victory against 10-man Villarreal moved the Balaidos outfit eight points clear of 18th-placed Cadiz, suggesting their 12-year top-flight stay is safe and sound. However, the visitors might need to wait for a better opportunity to confirm their La Liga status, considering they last won a match against Atletico Madrid in September 2018 (D3, L7). Moreover, they’ve lost every top-flight encounter against current top-five sides by an aggregate score of 19-6 this season!