Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo Prediction: Goals, Goals, Goals expected in the Bernabeu

It hasn't been the greatest couple of weeks for fans of Real Madrid but they can still end the season with a flourish by winning La Liga. They play on Sunday lunchtime as they continue to chase league-leaders Barcelona. Kick-off is set for 13:00 with Premier Sports 2 the channel to tune into.

Our La Liga Betting Expert is here with his preview of the match and Mark expects plenty of goals in the Spanish capital. Check out his thoughts along with his Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo Predictions and Betting Tips below...

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Real Madrid are back in league action this Sunday, and they could be in for a tough afternoon against a very capable Celta Vigo side that is gunning for Europe. 

The title prospects of Los Blancos will largely be determined by what happens in El Clásico next weekend. However, they do have four other remaining games in La Liga and they can't afford any slip-ups as they bid to chase down Barcelona. 

Carlo Ancelotti's side were last in action against Barça in the Copa del Rey final last weekend. They went into that match as the clear underdogs, and there was a risk of it heading in the same direction as the other Clásico meetings so far this season when Pedri's screamer gave the Catalans the lead inside half an hour. 

This time though, there was a strong response from Real Madrid who put in perhaps their best performance this season in a big match, with the possible exception of their Champions League tie against Manchester City. They came back to lead 2-1 thanks to goals from Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni, before ultimately losing their heads and losing the game late in extra time. 

Red cards were dished out to three Madrid players during a chaotic finale. Antonio Rüdiger completely lost the plot as he threw ice in the direction of the referee and had to be restrained by teammates, while Lucas Vázquez and Jude Bellingham also saw red, although the latter's sending off has since been rescinded. 

That was Real Madrid's fourth defeat in seven matches in all competitions, but they have still won six of their last seven in La Liga, with their last three victories all coming by 1-0 margins. 

This game is likely to serve up a few more goals though, with Celta Vigo very unlikely to come to the Santiago Bernabéu with the intention of merely parking the bus. That's not really in their nature under Claudio Giráldez who has done a terrific job since taking over from Rafa Benítez in March of last year.  

Already in 2025 they've taken Real Madrid to extra time on this ground in the Copa del Rey, with their round-of-16 tie in January ultimately ending 5-2 in favour of Ancelotti's men. They also led 3-1 away to Barcelona in La Liga only a fortnight ago thanks to a hat-trick from Borja Iglesias, before a late rally saw the league leaders come back to win 4-3. 

Celta responded to that late collapse in the best possible fashion, by beating Champions League hopefuls Villarreal 3-0 at the Estadio de Balaídos in their last match, with Iglesias again on target. 

Only four teams have scored more goals than them heading into matchday 34, and they are in a strong position to secure European football for the first time in nine years as a result. 

Punters should be aware though, that only three sides have conceded more goals in La Liga 2024/25, and their away record does leave a little bit to be desired, with just 28% of their points coming on the road. 

They've also got a miserable recent record against Real Madrid, having failed to win any of the last 18 meetings in all competitions. All of the last nine league encounters have been won by the side from the Spanish capital, but there's reason to think this match could offer Celta a much better opportunity to leave the Bernabéu with a result. 

Team News: 

Real Madrid have been dealing with some defensive selection issues all season, but that situation has blown up into a full crisis over the past week. Already missing Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal to long-term injuries, fellow defenders Ferland Mendy and David Alaba have also now been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign. 

The same goes for Rüdiger who has had knee surgery this week, and would have been suspended for six games in any case following his antics in the cup final. Eduardo Camavinga, who has also filled in as an emergency defender at times, is also out for the rest of the campaign. 

Things are looking better further up the pitch, with Mbappé expected to return to the starting lineup after he only made the bench last weekend. Arda Güler is also pushing for a start after a lively cameo in the Copa del Rey, while Rodrygo could be dropped after an extended run of poor form. 

There are no fresh issues for Celta, but the visitors are still missing Carl Starfelt and Jones El-Abdellaoui to injuries. Giráldez is prone to chopping and changing his starting lineup from week to week though, so midfield and attacking alterations are possible here, despite an impressive victory last time out. 

Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo Odds

Real Madrid head into this match as the 1/3 favourites to put three points on the board. You can back the Draw at 9/2, while Celta Vigo are priced at 7/1 to win the game and follow in the footsteps of Real Sociedad, Valencia and Arsenal who have all won inside 90 minutes at the Bernabéu since the start of last month. 

Celta Vigo or Draw is on offer at 21/10 in the Double Chance market, while you can back the visitors to win either half at 23/10. 

The expectation is certainly that this match should deliver on the entertainment front, and you can back Over 3.5 goals at 10/11. Real Madrid and Both teams to score is priced at 11/8, while you can back Los Blancos to score over 2.5 goals in the match at 10/11. 

Mbappé scored his first ever free-kick goal last weekend, and you can back the Frenchman to build on that by scoring first at 11/4 here. He's also priced at 8/13 to score anytime, while the 26-year-old is on offer at 3/1 to score two or more goals as he chases down the currently sidelined Robert Lewandowski in the Pichichi race. 

You can also back Vinícius Júnior to score anytime at 11/10, while Bellingham is on offer at 13/8 in the same market. From a visiting perspective, you can back in-form Iglesias to score first at 9/1, while he's priced at 5/2 to score anytime. 

Bet 1 - Both teams to score 2 or more goals @ 10/3 

Celta have already travelled to every other side currently in the top half of La Liga with the exception of Real Madrid, and all of those games saw both teams score. They've scored at least twice in five of those matches, and there's no reason to think they are going to alter their approach in this one. 

That's particularly true given the huge selection problems Real Madrid have at the back. That's not a new situation, but Ancelotti has at least been able to count on Rüdiger's availability until this point, and there has always been the sense that the German has been the player holding things together in defence for Los Blancos. 

With none of their first-choice back four available, there's a risk that things could unravel for Real Madrid at the back in this game, but they should have plenty of joy at the other end against a leaky Celta defence and I'm backing Both teams to score two or more goals at 10/3. 

Bet 2 - Celta Vigo +2.00 Handicap @ 5/6 

Celta's overall form has been good, with only two defeats in their last 11 matches, and one of those losses came only as a result of a 98th minute penalty away to Barcelona two weekends ago. 

They are playing well enough to suggest they can take advantage of Real Madrid's defensive problems and be really competitive in this game. Whether they have enough to win it is more doubtful, but they have to take encouragement from the plight of their opponents who haven't won any of their last 15 competitive matches by more than a single goal. 

Given that, there looks to be value in backing Celta Vigo +2.00 Handicap at 5/6.