Villarreal vs Celta Vigo

Villarreal’s pursuit of European qualification is on the line as they meet bottom-half Celta Vigo in a must-win La Liga clash at the Estadio de la Ceramica.

Villarreal pulled off a stunning second-half comeback to dismantle relegation-threatened Espanyol 4-2 at home in midweek La Liga action, ending a two-game losing league streak. However, Europa League qualification is still in doubt, with seventh-placed Athletic Bilbao only four points behind at the start of this round. Celta’s visit to La Ceramica could throw another spanner in the works, as ‘El Submarino Amarillo’ have lost three of their last four home league H2Hs against them (W1). Yet, La Ceramica has recently stood firm, with Quique Setien’s side going unbeaten in four of their five most recent La Liga home matches (W3, D1), netting at least twice in each victory.

Meanwhile, Celta Vigo left it late to beat dead-last Elche 1-0 at home in midweek La Liga action, snapping a four-game winless run (D2, L2) and moving eight points clear of the drop zone. ‘Los Celestes’ have become ‘drama specialists, with their last three La Liga goals coming from the 89th minute onwards. But Carlos Carvalhal’s men have developed a habit of dropping points on the road, as witnessed by a poor return of just one win from their last five league travels (D3, L1). However, for a side battling against the drop, losing once in six away league games (W2, D3) is a standout achievement.