Celta Vigo vs Valencia prediction 23.08.2024 | La Liga

• Competition: La Liga
• Date: Friday, 23rd August, 2024
• Kickoff: 18:00 UK / 19:00 CEST
• Venue: Estadio de Balaídos (Vigo)

Celta Vigo had two similar last seasons, finishing 13th and 14th while winning 43 and 44 points. In 2022/23, they were only three points away from the relegation zone, but last season, they finished eight points away because the bottom three teams (Cadiz, Almeria, and Granada) were terrible. Still, the general impression is that they are underachieving and that they are capable of more. This year, "Los Celestes" started the season with a 2:1 home win against Alaves. They also looked great in the pre-season and have reasons to be optimistic about their season. Even though survival is a number one priority, maybe they can finally take a step forward and secure Europe for the first time since the 2016/17 season.

Valencia finished 9th last season, and even though they were in a good position to reach Europe, they failed due to a terrible season finish. In the last seven games, they won just two points and blew the opportunity, finishing eight points away from European spots. Similarly to Celta Vigo, Valencia are also without Europe for some time. The last time they appeared was in the 2018/19 season. Right now, the bookies see Valencia and Celta Vigo as the 9th and 10th best teams in Spain and do not give them too much chance to finish among the top teams and secure Europe. Unlike Celta Vigo, Valencia opened the season with a 2:1 loss against Barcelona, but that was an expected loss.

Celta Vigo vs Valencia pick: Over 2.5 goals

Celta Vigo opened the season with a 2:1 win against Alaves. They were very good offensively, and it was a miracle they did not score another goal. In fact, Aspas did score, but it was disallowed by VAR due to a super-close offside. They also looked great offensively in the pre-season, scoring a goal in all seven games and two (or more) goals on five occasions. Considering they played against good teams like West Ham, Benfica, Lille, Luton, Gijon, etc., it is a great accomplishment. We are convinced they are capable of scoring at least a couple of goals against Valencia at Estadio de Balaídos. On the other hand, Celta had problems defensively, and their defenders made some big mistakes that could cost them the win. So, we are not convinced in their defense to keep a clean sheet against anyone.

Valencia also opened the season with a 2:1 result but with a loss to Barcelona. They were a better team than Barcelona in the first half and, objectively, deserved the second goal. Later, they crumbled, but there is definitely a reason to be optimistic about their offensive performance in the first half. We strongly believe they are capable of scoring against teams like Celta Vigo, even on the road.

In the previous five h2h games, we saw three or more goals on four occasions. Considering the previous h2h games and all the above, we expect a high-scoring game, most likely with both teams scoring.