With the teams clashing with each other in the fourth round of the Spanish La Liga for three points, we come to a match between two talented, but struggling teams. Espanyol will play hosts to Celta Vigo in the final game of round 4, as both the teams vie for the three points to get their campaign running as they have shown no signs of consistency so far.
ESPANYOL vs. CELTA VIGO
Three-way: 1: Espanyol +150; X: +245 Draw; 2: Celta Vigo +229
Spread 0: Espanyol -133; Celta Vigo +131
Total +2.5: Over +112; Under -120
ESPANYOL
The Catalan club has put in some good performances last season, but it wasn’t enough to provide a passage to the top 7 league positions. Manager Quique Sanches Flores will be hoping that his players are able to recreate their performances from last season, and along with the new signings, get even better. However, they have made a really poor start to their league campaign, with just one point taken of a possible 9. The fans will be anxious to see their team lift themselves up and start putting in better displays.
Their only point this league season so far has come against Sevilla, as they drew 1:1 away. Following this, they lost both of their matches. In all these three matches, their defense has been in shambles, as they have conceded a disappointing 7 goals while scoring only once, that too in the opening fixture. Even with the keepers doing their bit by showing some good form, the current shambolic state of the defense leaves much more to desire for the fans.
Their last match was a thrashing against their local rivals Barcelona, at the Nou Camp. Yes, very few would give them any chance of grabbing points against a star-studded Barcelona side, but the manner of their 5:0 defeat was particularly annoying for the fans, as they lacked the intensity that one will expect while playing against a local rival. Prior to this thrashing, they lost to Leganes at home by 0:1, which showed their attacking inefficiency.
Their only goal so far in the league has been scored by forward Leo Baptistao. They also have a couple of injury concerns going into this match. Centre back Oscar Duarte is expected to miss at least another month as he recovers from an ACL rupture, while forward Alvaro Vazquez is also a major concern for this match due to a shoulder injury. Espanyol should feel lucky that there are no other major concerns for the match, as any more key players out for this match would do nothing but worsen their results.
CELTA VIGO
Celta Vigo has had a season of two halves in the last league campaign. They started the season off in prime fashion, as they scored for fun, and led by the efficient Iago Aaspas, put in some brilliant attacking performances. However, as the season progressed, they lost their cohesion and got in a rut more than once. They still managed to stay away from the relegation trouble, but the manner of their collapse was still strange. Celta hasn’t started their season very well so far, with just 3 points earned from the first three matches. The manager will be motivating his players to put in better performances so as to avoid a repeat of last season’s disappointment.
In the first three matches, Celta has managed to grab only one win, while tasting defeat in the other two league matches. They haven’t been poor in attack, as they have scored in all the three games, with four goals in three games. However, it was their defense that has truly let them down in all three matches, as they have scored a total of 5 goals in the first two matches. in the third match, they seemed to find some cohesion as they managed to keep a clean sheet. The manager will be working with his staff to make sure that the players continue the defensive solidity shown in the last match to get better results in the upcoming matches.
The last league match was a positive note after two embarrassing and frustrating defeats. Celta Vigo has put in a very solid display against Alaves, as they ran out eventual 1:0 victors in front of their fans at home. It was clear that they were also lucky in some areas, but they still improved quite a bit to make sure that they do not end up repenting missed chances after the match is finished. This match took place after an agonizing defeat against CD Leganes. Being the away team, it was always going to be tough for them, but they still struggled heavily when it came to creating chances, and finishing them. As the game ended 1:0 in Leganes’ favor, one couldn’t help but think about the lack of ruthlessness of the Celta players in front of goal.
Amid all these negative aspects, there has been one exceptional positive. Their summer signing Maxi Gomez has literally taken the league by storm, as his movement and finishing has troubles defenders and goalkeepers alike. He has scored all the four goals of the team so far in the three league matches he has played in, which shows that the youngster is on his way to becoming an effective finisher.
However, there are a number of injury concerns for Celta Vigo. Forward John Guidetti is out with a collarbone fracture, and won’t be back until at least another week. Joining him on the treatment table is defender Facundo Roncaglia, who suffered a back injury at the start of the month, along with midfielder Nemanja Radoja, who is out with Knee problems since last week.
ESPANYOL vs. CELTA VIGO – Match Prediction:
Both the teams have made poor starts to their league campaigns, after decent performances last year. They have both won just one match in the league so far. However, with four matches gone, the time couldn’t be more appropriate to get their season back on track. The squads on both sides have some really good players, who are just waiting to hit their top form and understand their new teammates.
However, Celta Vigo has had a better attack this season, and their defense has also shown signs of improvement over the three matches. Still, this could be one of those La Liga clashes in which both teams will find the way inside the oppositions net, so I would go with the Both teams to score pick.
MY PICK: Both teams to score YES (-118)
