Can Celta’s defense compensate for their attacking problems? Celta vs Alavés prediction – 18.10.2026
On Sunday, October 18, Celta Vigo host Deportivo Alavés at ABANCA Balaídos in Matchday 9 of La Liga, with kick-off scheduled for 16:15 local time. Claudio Giráldez’s side have eight points from their opening eight games, with one win, five draws and two defeats, while Alavés have collected 11 points with a 3-2-3 record. Celta have scored eight and conceded only six, compared with Alavés’ 12 goals scored and eight allowed.
Celta Vigo: defensive stability is carrying an inconsistent attack
Celta’s season has been built much more on defensive organization than attacking productivity. They have kept four clean sheets in eight league matches, one of the best records in La Liga, and their latest championship fixture ended in a 0-0 draw away to Elche. Giráldez’s team have conceded just six league goals in total, so opponents have rarely found it easy to create clear chances against them.
The problem is at the opposite end of the pitch. Celta have scored only eight times, and five of those goals came in a single 5-0 victory. Their attacking options have also been reduced ahead of Sunday: Borja Iglesias has suffered another problem with his left soleus and has already been ruled out against Alavés. Carl Starfelt, Miguel Román and Jones El-Abdellaoui are also sidelined, while Pablo Durán has recently been dealing with a calf problem.
Without Iglesias, Celta lose an important penalty-box presence. The hosts still have enough technical quality to control possession, but their numbers suggest that turning territorial superiority into goals remains their biggest weakness.
Alavés: Boyé is dangerous, but Ángel Pérez will be missed
Quique Sánchez Flores’ Alavés arrive in Vigo three points above Celta, although their excellent start has lost some momentum. Their most recent league match ended in a 2-1 home defeat to Atlético Madrid, with Cristian Romero scoring the winner late on after Alavés had been reduced to ten men.
That red card has an important consequence for this fixture. Ángel Pérez is suspended and will not travel to Balaídos. The right-sided player has been one of Sánchez Flores’ regular starters and an important attacking route, while the available statistical data credits him with a team-high six big chances created. Nahuel Tenaglia is one of the options to replace him, but that change would give Alavés less attacking presence on the flank.
The main threat remains Lucas Boyé. The Argentine scored from the penalty spot against Atlético and has already reached five league goals this season. His efficiency gives Alavés a clear route to goal, but without Pérez’s service on the right, creating enough high-quality opportunities at Balaídos could become more difficult.
Match facts and head-to-head record
Celta have four clean sheets in eight La Liga matches, while Alavés have three. The hosts have conceded only six league goals and the visitors eight. The previous meeting at Balaídos was a spectacular exception to the recent defensive numbers, with Alavés winning 4-3 in March 2026; before that, Celta had taken seven points from the previous three head-to-head meetings.
Defensive numbers point toward at least one blank: Celta vs Alavés prediction
Last season’s 3-4 result at Balaídos is an obvious warning against automatically expecting a closed game, but the current circumstances are very different. Celta have allowed only six goals in eight league matches and already recorded four clean sheets, while their own attack has produced most of its output in one exceptional 5-0 victory.
Borja Iglesias’ absence makes the hosts less threatening inside the penalty area, while Alavés lose one of their most active attacking players in the suspended Ángel Pérez. Boyé remains capable of deciding the game on his own, but everything points toward a controlled match in which clear chances could be limited. Rather than choosing a winner between two sides separated by only three points, the stronger angle is to back at least one goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet.
Prediction: Both teams to score — No.
