Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo
It is now or never for Real Madrid to try and steal the La Liga title away from Barcelona this season, as they are in danger of losing it.
With 62 points, Los Blancos sit in second place, 11 points behind their Catalan rivals. However, Real Madrid may still have some hope after Barcelona dropped points in two straight games.
Real Madrid’s next opponent is Celta Vigo, who had been undefeated until Tuesday, when they were upset 1-0 by Mallorca.
With 36 points, Celta Vigo are now in 12th place, but if they can overcome Real Madrid on Saturday, they won’t stay there for very long.
Talking Points
Benzema might get the day off
Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that Karim Benzema picked up a knock during their second-leg win against Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-finals, so there’s an increasing likelihood that the Frenchman won’t play against Celta Vigo this weekend.
Benzema has already missed 13 games for Real Madrid due to various injury problems, so it is understandable that they are saving him for the biggest games. The reigning Ballon d’Or winner currently leads the team in scoring with 19 goals, and he has five assists.
The remaining La Liga games are still important for Real Madrid, but the Copa del Rey and Champions League are now the main priorities for Los Blancos because they have a bigger chance of winning those trophies.
After the Celta Vigo match, Real Madrid have three matches in seven days against Girona, Almeria, and Real Sociedad before they face Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final and Manchester City in the Champions League semi-finals on May 7 and 10, respectively.
With Benzema expected to sit this one out, Ancelotti may turn to the likes of Vinicius Junior, Marco Asensio, and Rodrygo to lead their frontline against Los Celestes.
Ancelotti could make changes at the back too, since David Alaba is also dealing with an injury. Antonio Rudiger, Nacho, Eder Militao, and Lucas Vazquez will get more minutes as a result.
Can Celta Vigo finish at the top half?
Carlos Carvalhal joined Los Celestes prior to the World Cup break last November, and he’s trying to fill in the big shoes of Eduardo Coudet, who led this team to eighth and 11th place in the last two seasons.
Despite not winning a single La Liga game for over a month, Celta Vigo are having a good campaign under Carlos Carvalhal.
However, Celta Vigo do not have fond memories of Real Madrid since they haven’t beaten them in a while, and it doesn’t help that Carvalhal won’t have some of his top defenders on Saturday, namely Oscar Mingueza, Hugo Mallo, and Diego Alves.
Los Celestes will, once again, rely heavily on Iago Aspas and Gabri Veiga to try and outscore Los Blancos. Aspas leads the team with 12 goals and three assists this season, while Veiga has nine goals and four assists.
History
Real Madrid have not lost any of their last 17 La Liga matches against Celta Vigo (W15, D2), which is their best undefeated run against them in the top-flight. Their last league loss against the visitors was a 2-0 defeat in May 2014.
Should Real Madrid win again this weekend, they will have six consecutive wins against Celta Vigo for the third time in La Liga history after doing so in 1979–1987 and 2014–2017.
Celta Vigo have secured just one clean sheet in their 56 La Liga road games against Real Madrid (W6, D6, L44), which was a 0-0 draw in March 1977.
However, Celta Vigo are undefeated in their last five away games (W2, D3). If they somehow avoid defeat on Saturday, they’ll achieve their best unbeaten run on the road in La Liga since October 2015, when they didn’t lose in 10 straight road matches.
Betting Tip
It’s not surprising that Real Madrid are the favourites to win on Saturday, according to the SBOTOP La Liga 2023 odds. Los Blancos are installed at 1.37, while Celta Vigo are the underdogs at 6.60, and a draw is at 4.60 in the 1X2 market.
Celta Vigo can make this closer than expected since Real Madrid have tired legs. However, Real Madrid have been excellent at home this season, and they should get the job done even with a rotated lineup. This fixture has seen goals from both sides throughout the years, and we’re going to see new La Liga 2023 highlights on Saturday. So why not go for Over 2.75 at 1.71 as well?
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT))
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
