Crvena Zvezda vs Celta Vigo prediction 29.01.2026 | Europa League

Crvena Zvezda have been a dominant force in Serbia, winning the last eight Super Liga titles in dominant fashion. This season, unexpectedly for all football experts in Serbia, "the Red and Whites" aren't as dominant. After the first half of the season, Red Star are in 2nd place with 45 points - only one point away from the first-placed Partizan. Yes, it is only a one-point difference, and they are not in a bad position, but that was unthinkable in recent seasons. Eventually, the club decided to sack coach Vladan Milojevic and appointed the club legend Dejan Stankovic. 

This is Stankovic's second appointment as Zvezda's coach. His first game after the appointment was last week when they beat Malmo 1:0. After the game, the coach said they worked hard in preparations for the Malmo game, and it all paid off as they secured the knockout phase. He was very happy with the win and the overall performance, but said they need to be more clinical in front of goal.

Last year was one of Celta's best in La Liga in a very long time, as they finished seventh, their best finish since the 2015/16 season. This season, the Sky Blues had an atrocious start, failing to win in the first eight games. However, as the season progressed, they looked better and better across the competitions. Before a 3:1 loss in the previous game against Real Sociedad, they were on an excellent four-game winning streak. However, that loss was a terrible one since Celta had a player more for half of the game and still convincingly lost. 

After a 3:1 loss against Real Sociedad, coach Claudio Giráldez spoke to the media. He said they made mistakes that cost them the game. The coach criticised their energy and work rate, saying they still have to run and defend properly even against a ten-man squad.