Celta Vigo host Juventus on 15 October at 19:00 GMT, aiming to recover from a difficult start to their Europa League campaign. Juventus, meanwhile, will look to build on their opening victory while seeking greater consistency in both results and attack. Cameroonian sports betting journalist and analyst Arthur Wandji has offered his predictions for the match.
Contrasting starts to the campaign
Celta Vigo drew 0-0 with Elche on 11 October, extending an inconsistent run. Claudio Giraldez’s side lost their opening Europa League match 1-0 to Omonia Nicosia but responded with a 5-0 victory over Racing Santander.
Their main challenge will be converting possession into clear chances against a Juventus defence that has generally been difficult to break down. Pablo Duran is one of the players to watch, particularly because of his ability to make an impact after half-time.
Celta will be without Carl Starfelt, Miguel Roman and Jones El-Abdellaoui, who are reported to be injured in the thigh, right knee and left knee respectively.
Juventus began their European campaign with a convincing 5-0 win over NEC Nijmegen, although their domestic form has been less reliable. They have lost 3-2 to Sassuolo and drawn 1-1 with Cagliari, with Randal Kolo Muani getting back among the goals in the latter match.
Luciano Spalletti’s selection options are affected by a number of absences. Kenan Y?ld?z, Manuel Locatelli, Khephren Thuram, Jeremie Boga and Jeff Ekhator are listed as unavailable.
Lloyd Kelly is also listed as suspended on the Flashscore match sheet, although other reports suggest he could be available. His status is therefore subject to a final check before kick-off.
Previous meeting and key statistics
The clubs last met in the UEFA Cup during the 1999-2000 season. Juventus won the first leg 1-0, but Celta Vigo overturned the tie with a 4-0 home victory. That result highlights the potential threat posed by the Spanish side at Balaidos, although it is not considered a definitive guide to this fixture.
Celta Vigo’s recent form is draw, win, loss, draw, draw, while Juventus’ sequence is draw, loss, win, win, loss.
Six of Celta Vigo’s last seven matches have produced fewer than 2.5 goals. They have scored in each of their last seven home Europa League matches since the start of last season. Juventus have scored in 10 of their past 11 away games and have conceded only once before the 60th minute this season. Neither side scored in the two previous meetings between the clubs.
Predictions
The recommended exact half-time score is 0-0 at odds of 2.73. The under-2.5-goals market is priced at 1.81, while Juventus to score at least once is available at 1.23. More goals in the second half than the first is offered at 2.14.
A further selection is Celta Vigo to win fewer than 2.5 first-half corners at 1.39. Randal Kolo Muani is the suggested anytime goalscorer at odds of 3.00. His two latest goals came after the interval, while Pablo Duran is also regarded as a player who can threaten after the hour mark.
The expectation is that a cautious opening could give way to more space after the break as both teams pursue victory. Odds may change.