Celta Faces Crucial Match Against Lille in Europa League

The match this Thursday night at Balaídos against Lille is crucial for Celta de Vigo’s prospects in the Europa League. Although they will have a final opportunity next week in Belgrade against Red Star, that will be a last-ditch effort.

Claudio Giráldez’s team enters this game at the peak of their season, having secured 16 out of the last 18 points available in LaLiga and conceding only one goal. However, they need to regain their strength in the continental competition following two recent losses to Ludogorets and Bologna.

Currently, Celta sits 19th in the continental tournament standings, tied on points with Lille at 9, who are just behind them in the ranking. The French side is also fighting for their continuation in the tournament, holding the fifth position in Ligue 1, only three points behind Olympique de Marseille in third.

Celta has won two of the three matches played at Balaídos, defeating PAOK of Thessaloniki and Nice, while suffering a loss to Bologna. On the road, they managed a victory against Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia.

On the sporting front, the coach will not have Ilaix Moriba available due to accumulated yellow cards, which is a significant loss. Meanwhile, Iago Aspas and Borja Iglesias will be fresh, having rested during the match against Rayo Vallecano. There will be rotations, but the team will likely resemble a standard starting eleven, adjusted within the typical changes that Claudio Giráldez implements.