With only one match left for the teams in the league season, many teams are giving the last push to achieve their targets. The same is the case with Real Sociedad as they visit Celta De Vigo. La Real needs 3 points from this away match to have any hope of having a top 6 finish in the Spanish La Liga, which would cap off a very good season. On the other side, Celta is in a very poor form, and their fans will be desperate not to see their team’s losing streak go on. All these factors will surely give to us a potentially exciting match up.
CELTA DE VIGO vs. REAL SOCIEDAD
3 Way :1: CELTA DE VIGO +355; X: +300 Draw; 2: REAL SOCIEDAD -118
Spread +0.5: CELTA DE VIGO +112; REAL SOCIEDAD -108
Total +2.5: Over -132; Under +125
CELTA DE VIGO
A positive start to the season has been overturned, as Celta hasn’t really been in the best of forms since the turn of the year. They started the season by playing some attractive football, where their link up play was good among the attackers and their midfield was able to control games. However, as the season progress, their performance levels regressed, and they started to drop points on a much more regular basis.
Celta has been occupying 13th position in the Spanish La Liga, with 44 points earned. The highest they can finish the league in is 11th position, if they win their next match and the teams directly above them both lose. They have been in a rut in the last few league games. They are on a losing streak in the last five league games. Their last match was a 4:1 home defeat against Real Madrid, which was before a 3:1 away defeat against Deportivo La Coruna.
Even with the good quality of players at their disposal, Celta Vigo has not been able to score many goals in the Spanish la Liga. They have scored 51 times in the league, with 28 of those coming in front of their home fans. Their defense has been comparatively poorer. The Celta goal has been breached a massive 67 times this season. 30 of those times have been in home games. The team has managed to keep only 7 clean sheets in the league.
Former Liverpool forward Iago Aspas has been one of the shining lights of the team. The Spaniard has scored 18 goals in the Spanish La Liga, along with 3 assists for his team mates. Apart from him, no one has been able to hit double figures in goals scored or assists made. Danish forward Daniel Wass has created 4 goals and scored 3 goals.
Top scorer Iago Aspas, along with Hugo Mallo, will miss the final match of the season due to suspension. Italian forward Giuseppe Rossi will miss the match as he is a long term absentee as he has an ACL tear. Nemaja Radoja is back in training as he is recovering from an Achilles injury.
REAL SOCIEDAD
This has been a really good season for La Real, as they are in the hunt for a European finish, for which they will need some help from the teams facing Bilbao and Villareal, as draw or defeat for them, along with a win for Sociedad, will mean the La Real finish in the European places. Even if they do not, it can be safe to say that they have played some really good football this season in the Spanish La Liga. So to top it all off, they would want to grab a win this Sunday so as to have some hope of European qualification.
Sitting at 7th position of the Spanish La Liga, they are tied with Athletic Bilbao on 63 points. 35 of those points have been won at home. La Real have been undefeated in their last 5 league matches. Their last two matches have been draws. First, they drew 1:1 at Sevilla, which was followed by a 2:2 home draw against Malaga. They will be hoping to extend their unbeaten run this final weekend of the league season and maybe even grab a win.
Surprisingly, La Real haven’t been the best in attacking, or the most solid in defending. However, they have managed to outscore their opponents on most occasions, and hence, win matches. They have scored 57 goals, with 27 of those coming at the road. Their defense has been pretty average too, with 51 goals conceded, again, 27 of them being at road. They have managed to keep 10 clean sheets too, which show their ability to shut opponents out.
Brazilian Forward Willian Jose has scored the most league goals for the team, with 12 to his name, and has also laid on 4 assists for his teammates. Following him closely is Juan Lopez, who has 10 goals in the Spanish La Liga. Mikel Oyarzabal has been the most creative player in the team, with 7 assists to his name.
Raul Navas is suspended for the match due to accumulation of yellow cards. Apart from him, Jon Guridi who is recovering from a knee injury, and Carlos Martinez, out for the season with an ACL injury will be missing the match. Imanol Agirretxe is doubt for the match due to an Ankle Injury, while Markel Bergara is back in traingin, along with Mikel Gonzalez and David Concha.
CELTA DE VIGO vs. REAL SOCIEDAD – Match Prediction:
This match can turn out to be either a drab affair, or a very exciting one, as both teams have good players on their squads. However, Real Sociedad is in a much better form in the Spanish La Liga than their hosts Celta Vigo, who are winless in their last 5 matches.
Even though the home fans might give some additional boost to their beloved team, it could still turn out to be not enough to overcome a well organized Sociedad side. Moreover, La Real is a team that doesn’t only rely on one person to score all the goals, which is not the case with Celta Vigo.
Therefore, my prediction will be an away win for Real Sociedad in the final league game of the season, with a high possibility of the teams combining for 3+ goals.
MY PICK: REAL SOCIEDAD (-118)
TOTAL: Over 2.5 goals (-132)
