Athletic Club travel to Vigo to face Celta Vigo on the third matchday of La Liga this Saturday night. The match will be played at Balaídos at 9:30 PM.
The Basque side arrives at the encounter in a difficult situation, sitting bottom of the table with zero points from two matches. They will face a Celta team also searching for its first win, positioned 16th with just one point. The sky-blue team has scored one goal and conceded two in their opening two fixtures, with a loss and a draw.
Who is traveling with Athletic to Vigo?
Manager Ernesto Valverde has announced the squad list for the clash at Balaídos. The main news is the return of full-back Yuri Berchiche, who served a suspension and missed the previous match. Youngster Johaneko García also remains with the first team and travels to Galicia.
The goalkeeping duties fall to Unai Simón and Padilla. In defense, alongside Yuri, are Paredes, Yeray Álvarez, Areso, Aymeric Laporte, Hugo Rincón, Adama Bojang and the aforementioned Johaneko. The midfield consists of Oihan Sancet, Mikel Galarreta, Beñat Jauregizar, Unai Rego, Ander Gerenabarrena and Sergio Canales. The attacking options are Álex Berenguer, Iñaki Williams, Nico Williams, Gorka Guruzeta, Maroan Azarkan, Robert Navarro and Djaló Sá.
The team departed from Bilbao at 10:30 AM on Saturday heading for Vigo. This trip marks the start of an intense week, which will continue with a journey to San Sebastián to face Real Sociedad next September 3rd. You can check the full schedule on our fixtures page.
What is Celta Vigo's situation heading into the match?
Rafa Benítez's Celta host Athletic with the urgency to claim their first three points. With one point from a possible six, the Vigo-based team finds itself six points behind leaders Atlético Madrid. Their start to the season, with LD form (loss-draw), demands an immediate reaction at home.
The celestial squad will look to leverage the home advantage at Balaídos to correct their course. A victory would allow them to distance themselves from the relegation spots and build confidence for the future. Detailed information on the team's lineup and performance is available in our squad section.
What does this match mean for the standings?
The encounter holds significant importance for both teams in the battle to not fall behind in the table. For Athletic, a win would mean escaping the bottom spot and putting an end to a negative season start. For Celta, three points would represent a considerable jump up the standings and a breather after a hesitant opening.
The pressure rests especially on the home team, which cannot afford another stumble in its fortress. The one-point difference between them in the table turns the duel into a genuine six-pointer. The matchday developments and the evolution of the table can be followed on our standings page.
The match at Balaídos promises to be a tactical duel between two experienced managers. The result will set the mood for one of the two fanbases and deliver an initial verdict on these teams' capacity to react in the early phase of the championship.
