Na big match dey for La Liga this Sunday as Celta Vigo go host Real Oviedo for Estadio Balaidos. The game go kick off by 6:30 PM local time, and na part of the special La Liga retro weekend wey dem organize. For this one, 38 teams for top two divisions go wear throwback kits to remember the history of Spanish football.
Celta Vigo dey come from 3-0 loss to Freiburg for Europa League quarter-final first leg on Thursday. But for La Liga, dem win their last match 3-2 against Valencia. The Sky Blues dey sixth for table with 44 points from 30 games. Dem get 44 goals wey dem score and 37 wey dem concede, so their goal difference na +7. Borja Iglesias na their main man for attack with 11 goals this season.
Real Oviedo wey dey bottom of table with 24 points from 30 matches just win their last La Liga game 1-0 against Sevilla. Dem score 21 goals total but concede 48, so their goal difference na -27. For head-to-head, the last meeting between these two teams end 0-0 draw earlier this season.
Team news say Celta Vigo get some injury wahala. Miguel Roman dey out with metatarsal fracture. Mihailo Ristic and Carl Starfelt also no fit play. But Borja Iglesias go still lead their attack. For Real Oviedo, dem get Leander Dendoncker, Ovie Ejaria, Luka Ilic and Lucas Ahijado wey need fitness check before match.
Ionut Radu go keep goal for Celta Vigo. The Romanian goalkeeper don keep 26 clean sheets for his career. For Real Oviedo, Aaron Escandell go be between the sticks. The Spanish goalkeeper get save percentage of 72.3% for his career.
This match na important one for both teams. Celta Vigo dey fight for Europa League qualification spot. Dem dey just one point behind fifth-placed Real Betis. Real Oviedo wey dey bottom need points to escape relegation. Dem dey seven points from safety with eight games remain.
Statistics show say Celta Vigo get better goal difference and more points. But Real Oviedo don win two of their last three La Liga matches. The Blues get fighting spirit even though dem dey bottom. For their last meeting, dem hold Celta to goalless draw.
The La Liga retro initiative make this weekend special. Teams go wear throwback kits, referees go wear special uniforms, and vintage ball go dey use. Only Barcelona, Rayo Vallecano, Getafe and Real Madrid no go participate fully. Real Madrid no go wear retro kit at all.
Jaime Blanco, La Liga director, talk say the initiative na to bring the past into present and connect with supporters emotionally. Na first time for Europe’s top five leagues wey whole league go do coordinated retro campaign like this.
For other matches this Sunday, Osasuna vs Real Betis end 1-1 draw. Abde Ezzalzouli score for Betis inside 10 minutes but Ante Budimir equalize from penalty. Betis no win for seven La Liga matches now. Osasuna remain unbeaten for their last 10 home games.
Mallorca go face Rayo Vallecano, Athletic Bilbao go host Villarreal. All these matches go feature the retro kits and special broadcast graphics. The weekend fixtures start from Friday with Real Madrid vs Girona and end Monday with Levante vs Getafe.
Celta Vigo home form no too strong this season. Dem collect just 17 points from 15 home matches. But Real Oviedo away form worse pass – dem get just one away win for the season. The match go tough for both sides.
Claudio Giraldez na Celta Vigo coach. The team possible starting lineup include Radu, Rodriguez, Aidoo, Alonso, Mingueza, Sotelo, Moriba, Carreira, Jutgla, Iglesias and Swedberg. For Real Oviedo, Guillermo Almada na their coach. Dem likely go start with Escandell, Vidal, Calvo, Bailly, Lopez, Sibo, Fonseca, Chaira, Reina, Fernandez and Vinas.
Federico Vinas score his seventh league goal of the season for Real Oviedo in their last match. The 27-year-old Uruguayan striker go be threat for Celta defense. Eric Bailly, the Ivorian defender, na another key player for Oviedo.
The match go stream live on ESPN+. For betting markets, Borja Iglesias odds to score na +100. Celta Vigo dey favorite to win with odds at -196 while Real Oviedo get +162. Over/under goals set at 3.
Weather for Vigo on Sunday dey predict partly cloudy with temperature around 15°C. The stadium capacity na 29,000 but no official word on expected attendance. Security measures don increase for all La Liga matches this weekend.
Spanish football fans dey excited for the retro weekend. Social media full of throwback photos and memories. The initiative come at good time as La Liga dey compete with other European leagues for global attention.
For Celta Vigo, this match na chance to bounce back from European disappointment. For Real Oviedo, na opportunity to continue their recent improved form. Both teams need the three points for different reasons. The retro atmosphere go add extra flavor to the contest.
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