Valencia vs Celta Vigo prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2023-11-24 15:15.
The international break proved timely for Valencia, with manager Rubén Baraja calling for a “reset” following a disastrous 5-1 defeat to Real Madrid from which he could not draw any positives. The last thing they will want to do from here is carry the negative momentum from what Baraja described as their worst performance of the season into Saturday’s clash with relegation candidates Celta Vigo.
After all, Valencia helped remain within touch of the top six by winning their two La Liga (LL) home encounters between the October and November breaks, shutting out lower-ranked Cádiz (2-0) and Granada (1-0). They should therefore go into this fixture confident of underlining their status as favourites, especially having won six of the seven most recent home H2Hs (D1), with clean-sheet victories in the last four.
Battling against relegation certainly was not part of Rafael BenĂtez's plans, and even the experienced journeyman must be scratching his head over how to end Celta's nine-match winless LL run (D3, L6). They claimed and lost the lead twice at Athletic Bilbao before half-time, added an equaliser after it, and still left San MamĂ©s with nothing (L 4-3). In fact, if games lasted 80 minutes instead of 90, Celta would have 16 points instead of the seven they currently possess!
Their chronic inability to close out matches out has been especially telling on the road, where late goals conceded saw them lose from leading positions against both Las Palmas and Barcelona, while also going down late against Girona and Athletic. One of the few positives on Celta’s travels this term has been a late winner secured at AlmerĂa, and BenĂtez will be hoping his team can double their tally of away victories for the campaign by triumphing at Mestalla – the stadium he called home from 2001 to 2004 – a glorious three-year period that included two league titles.
Players to watch: Hugo Duro netted in three of his last four LL appearances prior to the break and was on the scoresheet in his only previous start against Celta. The visitors’ 23-year-old Norwegian forward Jørgen Strand Larsen is in imperious form, with three goals and an assist from his last three games for club and country.
Hot streak: Celta's last seven LL away defeats were all by a one-goal margin.