Celta dust themselves off after Sociedad setback with Serbian trip looming
The Galician side have already secured Europa League progression but still have plenty to play for in Belgrade as they look to bounce back from La Liga disappointment.
After a frustrating defeat to Real Sociedad, Celta Vigo are quickly shifting focus to European matters with their upcoming Europa League clash in Belgrade.
Already qualified but still ambitious
Celta have already secured their progression in the Europa League, but Thursday’s trip to the Serbian capital offers a chance to improve their final position in the standings. While mathematically still possible to finish in the top eight, it would require something of a miracle at this stage.
Nevertheless, the squad seems determined to end the group stage on a high note and maintain momentum in Europe, even as they look to put their La Liga disappointment behind them.
Players keen to bounce back
Defender Hugo Álvarez spoke candidly about the Sociedad defeat but maintained a positive outlook:
“We found ourselves conceding a goal we didn’t expect. It’s complicated, but the team handled the match well,” he reflected, before acknowledging that finishing let them down on the day.
Álvarez is already looking ahead to Belgrade: “We have a new opportunity now in Europe to add three points and we’re eager for the match to arrive.”
The defender’s confidence in his teammates remains unshaken, adding that the squad is “impressive” and won’t be derailed by one setback.
No time for dwelling on defeat
Jones El-Abdellaoui echoed similar sentiments, refusing to get bogged down in what might have been against Sociedad:
“We gave our best and unfortunately it wasn’t enough. We tried, controlled almost the entire match but it wasn’t sufficient,” he explained.
With a congested fixture list, the player emphasized the need to move forward quickly: “We have to forget this match and think about the next one. There are many games in succession and there’s no time to be angry or sad.”
The message from the Celta camp is clear – it’s all eyes on Belgrade now as they look to end their European group stage campaign with a flourish and generate some positive momentum heading back into domestic action.