Celta de Vigo will play host to their very first guests Real Sociedad for this year’s La Liga campaign, as both the teams look to get off to a good start. On the other side, Atletico Madrid will visit newcomers, hoping to grab home all the three points from a relatively weaker team without many problems.
CELTA VIGO vs. REAL SOCIEDAD
Three-way: 1: Celta Vigo +140; X: +264 Draw; 2: Real Sociedad +292
Spread -0.5: Celta Vigo +110; Real Sociedad -116
Total +2.5: Over +102; Under -102
CELTA VIGO
Last season was surely a season of two halves for Celta. They started the season off in very good fashion, led by Iago Aaspas, who was firing on all cylinders and finishing moves with ease. However, as the season progressed, the cohesion between the squad dropped, and so did the results. They even got in a winless in the second half, and although they recovered, they will still be disappointed finishing 12th in the La Liga table, after a start which could have given them a top half finish. Such a poor finish saw them replace managers, with Juan Carlos Unzue coming in for the new season, hoping to avoid last season terrible end of season form.
They have made a few decent signings in the squad, so as to freshen up things and increase competition in the squad. They have brought in midfielders Stanislav Lobotka from Nordsjaelland, and Jozabed Sanchez from Fulham, for 5 million and 3.5 million Euros respectively, to help dictate the play from the center of the field. To ease the burden on Aaspas and Guidetti, they have signed young Uruguayan striker Maximiliano Gomez from Defensor, in a deal worth 4 million Euros.
They had a really disappointing preseason if results are to be looked upon. They took part in seven friendly matches, out of which, they lost three, won two, and drew two. In this period, they managed to score an impressive 13 goals, while conceding 10 goals, which indicate towards a pretty average defense, which only managed to keep one clean sheet during the entire preseason.
The only player out for this match for Celta will be forward John Guidetti, who is out with a collarbone fracture he suffered last week.
REAL SOCIEDAD
Sociedad had a good season in the league last year. They finished 6th in the league, hence bagging a Europa league spot. They had scored a total of 59 goals while conceding 53 in 38 league matches. These numbers do not make up for a very impressive reading, but Sociedad managed to edge out games and hence get three points more often than not. Under the able guidance of manager Eusebio, the fans will be hoping that the club doesn’t drop its performance levels, and now targets knocking at the door of the top four in the league.
Sociedad has made two new signings in this transfer window so far. In defense, they have added promising defender Diego Llorente from Real Madrid for 6 million Euros, to add solidity at the center of the defensive line. Joining him is Belgian Winger Adnan Januzaj, who was once considered one of the best youngsters in the world. The 22-year-old joins from Manchester United in a bid to revive his career, in a deal worth 8.5 million.
The preseason preparation of Sociedad didn’t instill much hope into the fans of the club. They played a total of 9 friendly matches, out of which, they managed to win only two. They drew four matches while losing three. During this period, they scored 11 goals, while conceding 8 goals. Such numbers give a very bleak reading of the clubs attack and its defense, which again put its chances of a good run in the league in doubt.
The manager will be worrying about this fixture, as a number of first team players are out with injuries. New signing Adnan Januzaj, along with youngster Zubeldia and center back Inigo Martinez, are all out with muscular injuries. Right back Carlos Martinez has an ACL injury, and won’t be back before next month. At last, midfielder Ruben Pardo is also out with Knee injury that he suffered in training this week.
CELTA DE VIGO vs. REAL SOCIEDAD – Match prediction:
Both of these teams have had relatively poor preseason preparations in comparison to their La Liga rivals. However, Celta de Vigo has shown that it still has its ability to score goals, no matter how their defense is performing. Real Sociedad hasn’t made those signings which could provide an additional spark to the teams attack, and many of their key midfielders are injured. Due to these reasons, along with the fact that it is a home match for Celta, my prediction will be a home win in the first round of the La Liga action.
MY PICK: Celta to win (+140)
GIRONA vs. ATLETICO MADRID
Three-way: 1: Girona +725 ; X: +340 Draw; 2: Atletico Madrid -164
Spread +1: Girona -104; Atletico Madrid +112
Total +2.5: Over +127; Under -118
GIRONA
The mood in the Girona camp must be very positive, as the club has managed to secure promotion to the top flight of Spain after a long and grueling campaign in the Spanish second division. Girona secured the second position in the league and hence won an automatic promotion to the La Liga. They scored 65 goals and conceded 45 in the league in 42 matches. These numbers aren’t bad by any means, but Girona will need to make sure that they are stepping up their game to survive in the league this year and avoid a return to the second division.
They have added some good players to their squad, as they prepare for life in the top division. They have signed Bernardo Espinosa from Middlesbrough for a sum of 4.5 million Euros. They have also brought in left back Carles Planas from Celta, Keeper Iraizoz from Bilbao and keeper Jose Suarez from Barcelona B, as they look to add talent and experience to the squad. They have also added Manchester City youngsters Douglas Luiz and Aleix Garcia on loan deals for the year.
Preseason was a pretty average string of results for the newcomers of the La Liga. They played six friendly matches, out of which, they lost 1, drew 3 and won 2. Their last match was a 1:0 win against Manchester City, which shows that the club has the quality to damage top sides. During these six matches, they scored 6 goals, while conceding 5 goals, although they managed to keep three clean sheets, which show that they have enough defenders to hold out the opposition.
ATLETICO MADRID
Los Rojiblancos had another season where they started with the aim of challenging the top two in the league but failed to do so. Unlike other seasons, last season saw an inconsistent start to the league campaign, which cost them valuable space between them and the second place. They eventually finished third with a massive 12 points gap between them and Barcelona. Diego Simeone will surely want his team to work harder and reduce this deficit and give a go at the title. They scored an impressive 70 goals in the league, while their sturdy defense conceded just 27, the least in the league.
This season will be a tough one, as Atletico have been hit with a transfer Embargo, and won’t be able to sign anyone until January. However, Star player Griezmann has shown his loyalty to the team, by signing a new contract and squashing all transfer rumors. Saul Niguez has also done the same, by signing a massive 9-year contract, which shows the connection that the manager, the players, and the fans share with each other. However, they have signed winger Vitolo from Sevilla for a sum of 36 million Euros, although he will spend the first half of the season with Las Palmas as Atletico can’t register him before January.
The preseason preparation of the club went very well, as the team remained unbeaten throughout all the six friendlies. During these matches, they scored 7 goals while conceding 5 goals. They also maintained clean sheets on two occasions. These numbers aren’t what one would expect from an Atletico side, but it must be noted these were just preseason friendly matches, and Diego Simeone is one of the best in the world when it comes to boosting his players’ morale before and during the season.
The manager will be without some of his key players for the match as they will be out for various reasons. Left back Filipe Luis is out with a muscle injury suffered in the preseason, along with Kevin Gameiro who will also miss the match with a hamstring injury. Defender Deigo Godin is suspended for the match, along with midfielder Thomas Partey.
GIRONA vs. ATLETICO MADRID – Match prediction:
One must appreciate the hard work that Girona has put into their preseason, as they look to make themselves ready for the new La Liga campaign. Girona will hope to put up a show at least for the fans, and hence, it wouldn’t be a complete stroll for the Rojiblancos, who will need to maintain their focus to avoid any embarrassment. Go with the over.
MY PICK: Over 2.5 goals (+127)
