Villarreal vs Celta Vigo
La Liga
Wednesday
20th December 2023
Estadio de la Ceramica
The most comprehensive preview, detailed analysis and reliable predictions of the La Liga fixture between Villarreal and Celta Vigo.
Villarreal vs Celta Vigo: Preview
Villarreal form analysis
After a fair start, Villarreal have found the going tougher in recent La Liga games while juggling European commitments. On November 13th they took a shock early lead away to Atletico Madrid through star striker Gerard Moreno but were ultimately well beaten 3-1. A response followed a week later with a resounding 3-1 home win over Osasuna as in-form veteran José Luis Morales bagged a superb hat trick. However their inconsistency showed again on December 3rd as Villarreal could only manage a 1-1 home draw with struggling Sevilla, salvaging a point late via Morales after being second best throughout.
Hoping to build momentum, disaster followed on December 9th as rampant Real Sociedad inflicted a humbling 3-0 defeat to stall momentum. And misery compounded last Monday away to champions Real Madrid, as despite Morales netting again Villarreal were soundly beaten 4-1. While the manager has weapons like Moreno and Yeremy Pino in attack, Villarreal’s leaky defense has badly undermined their early season promise. Tightening up at the back is crucial to get their stuttering campaign going again.
Celta Vigo form analysis
Celta Vigo’s form during a testing run of fixtures has embodied their inconsistency. On November 11th they scored first away to Athletic Bilbao through star Iago Aspas but ultimately came unstuck in a pulsating 4-3 defeat after exchanging five second half goals. A drab goalless home draw with Valencia followed before a similar story against struggling Cádiz on December 5th – leading through Chris Ramos but pegged back by Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Celta then battled to a goalless draw away to Rayo Vallecano, lacking attacking impetus. Hoping to bounce back last Friday at home, Celta edged past relegation strugglers Granada 1-0 thanks to Strand Larsen’s solitary strike but left it late against modest opposition. While Aspas and Goncalo Paciencia offer elite creativity and goal threat, Celta have badly lacked consistency during the first half of the season. Identifying a settled lineup and rediscovering their flowing attacking rhythm from last season could help Celta climb the congested middle of the La Liga table.
