Celta Vigo kick off pre-season with win over Sporting Gijón
Celta Vigo began their pre-season campaign with a 1-0 victory over Sporting Gijón in a friendly played at the A Lomba field in Vilagarcía de Arousa. The decisive goal came in the 61st minute, scored by Hugo González, a Valencia-born winger who continues to stake his claim for a first-team spot under manager Claudio Giráldez. The Galician side, which finished sixth in La Liga last season with 54 points, enters the new campaign aiming to improve on their 53 goals scored and 48 conceded (+5 goal difference).
What happened in the match?
The game was slow-paced, with few clear chances and alternating spells of possession. In the opening 30 minutes, Miguel Román tested Rubén Yáñez with a direct free-kick that the Sporting goalkeeper easily saved. Celta, which had drawn 1-1 with Braga in their previous pre-season fixture, fielded several B-team players including Joel López, Óscar Marcos and Ángel Arcos, as well as giving Aleix Febas a start in midfield and Álvaro Núñez, a winter signing, another chance to impress.
After the break, Celta largely repeated their first-half lineup, though Moriba came on to add balance in midfield. Hugo González, who had already scored in the Braga friendly, was the architect of the winner: after an assist from Iago Aspas, he finished clinically to make it 1-0. Sporting, with fresh faces like Iosifov and Duñabeitia, pushed forward with crosses and headers, but Celta’s defence, marshalled by Yoel Lago and Javi Rodríguez, held firm.
Why this pre-season friendly matters for Celta
Manager Claudio Giráldez is still weighing his options ahead of the new season. Hugo González, top scorer for Celta Fortuna and the standout performer in the B-team’s promotion to Segunda División, does not meet the age criteria to switch between squads as he is not under-23. His goal against Sporting strengthens his case to join the first team, though the final call rests with Giráldez.
The match also served as a chance to assess Álvaro Núñez, the winter signing who has impressed staff during his adaptation period. The young midfielder, alongside Febas and Moriba, will be key in adding balance to the engine room. Celta also goes into pre-season without Javi Galán, forcing Giráldez to rotate his defensive options.
Celta Vigo’s next steps
With this win, Celta continues their pre-season build-up ahead of the new La Liga campaign, where they finished sixth in the final 2025 standings with 54 points. Their last competitive result was a 1-0 victory over Sevilla on 23 May 2026, and they have recorded two wins and two draws in their last five outings (WWDDL). The Galician side, currently 40 points adrift of leaders Barcelona, will look to fine-tune their gameplan in upcoming friendlies before the official campaign kicks off.
