Celta Vigo failed to secure the win they wanted to kick off their European campaign, drawing 0-0 away to Omonia Nicosia on Monday. The key absence of captain Iago Aspas hampered the Galician attack in a match that leaves the team without a win in their last five official outings.
Manager Claudio Giráldez set up his side with Radu in goal and a back four of Javi Rodríguez, Carl Starfelt, Marcos Alonso and Álvaro Núñez. Miguel Román and Hugo Burcio anchored the midfield, with Carreira and Pablo Durán on the flanks. The attacking duties fell to Ferran Jutglà and Oussama Driouech, tasked with covering for the missing skipper. Omonia, coached by Henning Berg, also opted for caution, with the experienced Fabiano in goal and a compact block that offered few openings.
The match was characterised by a slow tempo and a scarcity of clear chances. The first half saw Celta enjoy territorial dominance but lack penetration, repeatedly running into a stubborn home defence. The best opportunity fell to Jutglà, but his shot was deflected wide. At the other end, Radu was rarely troubled. The score remained unchanged at the break.
Giráldez tried to inject more creativity after halftime by introducing Ilaix Moriba for Burcio. However, the pattern of play changed little. Omonia, aware of their own five-match winless run, dropped deeper and looked to counter through Diony and Tankovic, who posed occasional threats. Celta, meanwhile, showed a lack of cohesion in their build-up and a glaring lack of accuracy, with efforts from distance failing to test Fabiano.
Hungarian referee Balazs Berke blew the whistle on a drab affair, with VAR official Tamás Bognár not required to intervene. The draw gives Celta one point at the start of a demanding league phase that includes upcoming fixtures against Juventus and Celtic. The team returns to European competition after reaching the quarter-finals last season, but this is not the start they envisioned.
The domestic context is equally concerning. Celta sit 16th in La Liga with just four points from six games, having drawn three and lost three. Their next match is at home to Racing Santander, a key fixture to try and turn their form around. Fans can check the full schedule on our fixtures page and the squad status in the squad section. The team urgently needs to find a winning formula to dispel the clouds of a deeply troubled start to the season.
The report in full is at Mundo Deportivo
