UEFA Europa League 26/27 · Round 2 ·
RC Celta de Vigo vs Juventus Turin preview: Celta Vigo host Juventus in a meeting of contrasting starts
Celta Vigo and Juventus meet at Estadio Balaidos with only one match of season data behind each side, so the market carries most of the weight. The clearest early signal is Juventus's 5-0 opening win against Celta Vigo's 0-1 defeat, a gap the market prices at 45% for the away side.
By 10xSharp · Published
This preview was published before kickoff. The match has finished: see the result and full stats. Read the match report.
Who is missing
Celta Vigo are without three midfielders: Hugo Sotelo, Jones El-Abdellaoui and Miguel Roman Gonzalez, all listed as injury. None of them appears among the club's leading scorers or creators in this competition, so the absences thin the squad rather than remove a proven attacking threat. Juventus have the longer list, with seven players unavailable. Arkadiusz Milik is listed as unavailable, while Manuel Locatelli, Jeremie Boga, Kamil Grabara, Kephren Thuram, Kenan Yildiz and Jeff Ekhator are all injury. The away side's top scorers are all available, so the attack is intact despite the depth being tested.
Who carries the attack
Juventus have three players level on one goal from one match in this competition: Randal Kolo Muani, Nico Gonzalez and Kerim Alajbegovic. Each has scored 20% of the team's goals, and all three are available for this fixture. Celta Vigo have no player with a goal in this competition yet, having failed to score in their opening match. The attacking burden for the home side is therefore unproven, while Juventus can point to a spread of contributors.
Recent shape
Juventus arrive with the better recent form, having won their only league match this season while Celta Vigo lost theirs. In their last six matches in all competitions, Juventus have won three, drawn two and lost one, while Celta Vigo have won one, drawn four and lost one. At this venue, Celta Vigo have won one, drawn one and lost two of their last four, while Juventus have won two, drawn one and lost one of their last four away matches. Juventus are unbeaten in their last three matches, and both sides drew their most recent match.
Where they stand
Juventus sit 1st with 3 points from their opening match, while Celta Vigo are 25th with 0 points. The home side have yet to play at home this season, so their home record is empty, while their away record shows one defeat. Juventus have played once at home and won, scoring five goals without conceding. The away side therefore bring a perfect home record into this fixture, while Celta Vigo are still looking for their first point.
No recent history
There is no head-to-head record between these two clubs in the available data, so no historical pattern can be read into this fixture. The absence of past meetings means the preview rests on current season form and the market's assessment rather than any established rivalry.
Attacking threat
Juventus have been far more dangerous going forward, scoring five goals in their one match this season, a figure well above the league average of 1.31 per team. Celta Vigo have yet to score, sitting well below that same average. The away side's attack is the clear strength here, while the home side's forward line has produced nothing so far.
Defensive solidity
Juventus have yet to concede this season, a record better than the league average, while Celta Vigo have conceded once in their single match, which is also better than the league average but only marginally so. The away side's defensive edge is the larger of the two, though both teams have started the season with solid defensive numbers.
Shots and pressure
Juventus have averaged 7 shots on target per match compared with Celta Vigo's 2, a significant gap in working the opposing goalkeeper. Celta Vigo have seen more of their shots blocked, averaging 7 blocked shots per match against Juventus's 2. The away side are both more accurate and less easily blocked, giving them a clear advantage in attacking efficiency.
When goals arrive
Juventus have spread their goals across the match, with one in each of the first three 15-minute windows and one in each of the last two, so no single band stands out as a peak. Celta Vigo have not scored yet, so their scoring distribution is empty. In terms of conceding, Celta Vigo's only goal against came in the final 15 minutes, while Juventus have yet to concede.
Goal environment
Juventus's one match this season produced five goals, so all of their matches have gone over 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 goals. Celta Vigo's one match produced a single goal, so none of their matches have gone over any of those lines. The two teams therefore sit at opposite ends of the goal environment spectrum, with Juventus's matches high-scoring and Celta Vigo's low-scoring.
How this shapes up
Juventus bring the sharper attack, the tighter defence and the better recent form into this match, while Celta Vigo are still searching for their first goal and first point of the season. The market prices the away side at 45% to win, with the draw at 28% and the home side at 27%. Expect Juventus to control the match and create the better chances, while Celta Vigo will need to find a way to break down a defence that has yet to concede.