Celta Vigo vs Valencia Prediction 03.01.2026 | La Liga

Under the stewardship of head coach Claudio Giraldez, the Vigo-based outfit have undergone a remarkable transformation, emerging as one of the most resilient sides in Spain’s top flight this season after shaking off early-campaign inconsistency to put European qualification firmly within reach.

The Galician club arrive in excellent recent form, having suffered just one defeat across their last five La Liga outings while collecting an commendable 10 points in that span, a resurgence that has propelled them up to a strong seventh place in the standings, sitting only five points adrift of Real Betis.

Their upward momentum has been underpinned by an outstanding defensive resurgence, with the side conceding just once in their previous five league matches, a sequence highlighted by a memorable 2–0 triumph over Real Madrid that underlined their growing confidence and tactical maturity.

However, Giraldez is facing mounting selection concerns ahead of the upcoming fixture, as leading scorer Borja Iglesias is a major doubt due to a back issue, while 24-year-old forward Pablo Duran is also sidelined after sustaining a shoulder problem, potentially testing the squad’s attacking depth at a crucial stage of the season.

Meanwhile, Valencia make the trip to Balaidos occupying an uncomfortable 17th place in the La Liga standings, once again staring down the very real prospect of being dragged into a tense relegation dogfight, a familiar scenario for Los Ches in recent seasons.

Under the guidance of Carlos Corberán, the visitors returned from the brief winter break in subdued spirits, having been forced to settle for a frustrating 1-1 draw versus Mallorca, a result that did little to ease the mounting pressure at Mestalla and extended their winless run to four matches (D3 L1).

Persistent inconsistency, coupled with a worrying fragility at the back, continues to undermine Valencia’s campaign, particularly on their travels, where points have been hard to come by throughout the season. Indeed, they are one of just three sides yet to record an away victory in La Liga, collecting only three draws from eight road outings so far (D3 L5).

On a more positive note, the injury situation remains relatively manageable for Corberán, with backup goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski and centre-back Eray Cömert the only absentees as they continue their respective recoveries.