Celta vs Valencia: Mid-table hopefuls clash with struggling Los Che at Balaídos
Celta look to cement their impressive seventh-place position against a Valencia side desperately trying to escape the relegation zone in Saturday's La Liga clash.
A crucial fixture for both sides as seventh-placed Celta welcome relegation-threatened Valencia to Balaídos in Saturday’s early kick-off, with both teams looking to bounce back from disappointing draws.
Form Guide
The hosts find themselves in surprisingly lofty territory this season, sitting pretty in seventh with 23 points. That’s a proper result for the Galicians, who are just five points behind Real Betis in the European spots. They’ll be looking to get back to winning ways after a frustrating draw against Oviedo last time out.
Valencia, meanwhile, are having an absolute ‘mare this campaign. Los Che currently occupy 17th place with a measly 16 points, hovering just one point above the drop zone. Their recent draw against Mallorca did little to ease relegation fears, and they desperately need to start picking up wins if they want to avoid a proper dog’s dinner of a season.
Key Battle
This match represents a classic clash of motivations - Celta pushing for an unexpected European adventure versus Valencia fighting for their top-flight survival. The visitors’ defensive frailties have been their Achilles heel this term, while Celta have shown they can cause problems for most sides at Balaídos.
Where to Watch
If you’re after catching this one on the box, DAZN has the broadcasting rights. Kick-off is scheduled for 14:00 local time on Saturday, January 3rd.
- TV: DAZN
- Radio: Radio MARCA
- Online: MARCA.com will provide live commentary
Pre-match build-up begins two hours before kick-off, with post-match analysis, highlights and player reactions available after the final whistle.
Prediction
With Celta’s solid home form and Valencia’s struggles on the road, I fancy the Galicians might have too much for their visitors. That said, relegation scraps bring their own kind of desperation that can produce unexpected results. Either way, this one should be worth a butcher’s hook!