Barcelona vs Celta Vigo Prediction: Back Barca for a fast start on Wednesday

Barcelona look a good bet to lift La Liga this season seeing as they are clear of their rivals Real Madrid. Heading into this midweek gameweek, they were nine points ahead of their El Clásico rivals. They face a Celta Vigo side tonight that are themselves looking to get into the Europa League for next season. Premier Spots 1 from 8:30PM for UK viewers.

Mark previews the action and gives us his top two Barcelona vs Celta Vigo Predictions plus all the team news, predicted line-ups and stats...

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Barcelona vs Celta Vigo Preview:

Barcelona are closing in on back-to-back league titles in Spain. Their latest test comes at Camp Nou against an out-of-form Celta Vigo side. 

The Catalans have had a week to digest the disappointment of their Champions League quarter-final defeat against Atlético Madrid. Despite a rapid start to the second leg, which saw Barça score twice and miss a host of other early chances, they ultimately failed to turn the tie around. 

Hansi Flick's side were left angry at the refereeing, with Barcelona reduced to 10 men in both legs. It may well have been a different outcome had they been able to rely on their full complement of players. However, there were other factors which contributed to their demise. 

Atleti scored excellent goals in both matches, while their opponents looked dependent on Lamine Yamal for attacking inspiration at times. While he is an exceptional talent, placing so much responsibility on the shoulders of an 18-year-old does raise questions about whether Barça were ever going to be capable of going all the way in Europe this season. 

Pedri has gone off the boil in recent weeks, while the injured Raphinha's presence is always badly missed. There is also room for improvement this summer in central defence and up front, but it remains to be seen what funds will be available. 

In La Liga, those flaws have not proven costly. Barcelona have been operating on a higher level than Real Madrid for virtually the entire campaign, although it's only since the international break that they've broken clear of Los Blancos. The leaders head into this match following seven straight league victories, after a 4-1 derby win over Espanyol the weekend before last. 

Celta Vigo were also knocked out of a European competition last week. Their promising Europa League campaign, which featured knockout-stage victories over PAOK and Lyon, ended with something of a whimper. 

The Galicians lost 6-1 on aggregate in a quarter-final tie they were favourites to win against Freiburg. They were well beaten in both legs by the German side, as the club's best-ever opportunity to progress to a European final passed them by. 

Attention will now turn to ensuring there is continental action at the Estadio de Balaídos again next term. Celta are in a strong position to compete for fifth place. That may even be enough for Champions League football, depending on how the remaining Spanish clubs get on in the semi-finals of this season's UEFA competitions. 

However, they will certainly need to play better than they have over the past month. Claudio Giráldez's team collapsed to lose 4-3 at home to struggling Alavés, having taken a 3-0 lead, in their final game in March. Meanwhile, their most recent league outing ended in a 3-0 home defeat against bottom club Real Oviedo. 

Those recent results mark the worst period for Os Celestes since the appointment of Giráldez in March 2024. Tough road fixtures against Barcelona and Villarreal this week don't offer an easy fix to their current problems.

*You can check out all of our Football Odds over on betfred.com

Team News: 

Fatigue should not be a factor for Barcelona, given it has been eight days since their last match. However, they will again have to cope without Raphinha, while Marc Bernal and Andreas Christensen are also sidelined due to injuries. 

Ferran Torres was preferred to Robert Lewandowski at the Estadio Metropolitano. The Spain forward will be hoping to keep his place on Wednesday night after scoring in that game, while Frenkie de Jong is pushing for a recall in midfield following his return to fitness. 

As for Celta Vigo, they're missing defensive mainstay Carl Starfelt to injury again. The Swede has been badly missed in recent weeks, while midfielder Miguel Román is also sidelined. 

Giráldez favours a rotation policy and has few players who have truly nailed down starting roles in his best lineup. Top scorer Borja Iglesias was one possible exception, although he has gone eight games without a goal for club and country. Ferran Jutglà and Pablo Durán are pushing for a starting role up front. 

Match Odds: 

Barcelona are priced at 1/4 to move on from their European disappointment with a victory. The Draw is on offer at 11/2, while Celta Vigo are given a 9/1 chance of winning at Camp Nou, having already triumphed at the Santiago Bernabéu this term. 

Punters will need to weigh up the Galician club's strong away record, with just two road defeats this season in La Liga, against their poor recent form. If you're expecting them to go well on their travels again, Draw or Celta is priced at 11/4, while you can back Giráldez's side to score over 1.5 goals at 3/1. 

Barcelona are on offer at 13/10 to win the match to nil. You can also back the Catalans to score in both halves at 4/7, while they're given a 13/10 chance of winning both halves. 

With uncertainty over who starts up front for Barcelona, backing Yamal to shine again could be the way to go. The winger is priced at 7/2 to score first. You can also back the teenager to score anytime at 4/5, while he looks good at 6/4 to assist a goal. 

Dani Olmo is given a 6/5 chance of getting on the scoresheet. From a visiting perspective, Iglesias is available at 11/5 as an anytime goalscorer bet, while Jutglà is on offer at 3/1 to strike against his old club. 

*You can place a bet on this match and check out all of our Barcelona vs Celta Vigo Odds over on betfred.com

Bet 1 - Result after 30 minutes - Barcelona @ 10/11 

After a rare weekend off, Barcelona should be in good shape to play at a high tempo from the first whistle. They've done that in their last two matches, taking just 25 minutes to build up two-goal leads against both Espanyol and Atlético Madrid. 

Flick's team have already scored 17 times in the opening 30 minutes at home in La Liga this term, conceding on just three occasions. Faced with a Celta Vigo side that has let in 15 goals across their last five matches, the hosts are very capable of taking control of this contest early on. Given that, I'm backing Barcelona to be ahead after 30 minutes at 10/11. 

Bet 2 - Barcelona to have over 18.5 shots @ 10/11 

Celta Vigo have been a breath of fresh air in Spanish football over the past two years, with Giráldez placing his faith in homegrown talent and reaping the rewards. However, they really haven't looked like their normal selves over the past fortnight. Morale would have taken a massive hit given the manner of their heavy Europa League exit, not to mention the shock three-goal loss against Oviedo. 

Even when they stunned Real Madrid with a 2-0 win in the capital earlier in the season, Celta faced 23 shots across the 90 minutes. Their opponents this Wednesday are averaging a league-high 19.7 attempts per game in the Spanish top flight. 

I can see the hosts dominating much of this contest, and I'm backing Barcelona to have over 18.5 shots at 10/11. 

You can check out Mark's Football Betting Tips along with those from the rest of the Betfred Insights Spanish Football writers on our La Liga home page...