Celta vs Freiburg: prediction, H2H and probable lineups — 16.04.2026
One of the second-leg quarterfinals of the Europa League will be played on Thursday in Vigo at the Balaídos stadium, where Celta will host Freiburg. The Spanish club faces an almost insurmountable challenge after the first leg, so the prediction for this clash is based not only on the scoreline but also on how both teams approach this decisive evening.
Match preview
Celta enter the return leg in extremely poor form, which is arguably the main concern for their supporters. Claudio Giráldez's side have lost three of their last four matches, with two consecutive 0-3 defeats hitting especially hard - first to Freiburg in the opening leg, then to Real Oviedo in La Liga.
However, at Balaídos there is still some cautious optimism for the Galicians in the Europa League. True, Celta have stopped winning consistently at home this spring, but in European competition they previously beat PAOK here (3-1), and in the Round of 16 managed to edge out Lyon in the return leg (2-0), showing that on a special night, they can raise their intensity and show character.
Freiburg travel to Spain looking like a team that's found its rhythm again and has no intention of squandering its hard-earned advantage. The German side have won four of their last five matches, and after a confident 3-0 at home, calmly dispatched Mainz (1-0), with the coaching staff wisely keeping their key players fresh for this crucial tie.
Julian Schuster now finds himself in an almost ideal position: Freiburg can play without panic, stay compact, and force their opponents to get nervous with every failed attack. Notably, Freiburg haven't suffered a single heavy defeat in this European campaign, and even their away losses to Lille and Genk were by the narrowest of margins - this is a team that knows how to keep risk at arm's length.
Probable lineups
- Celta: Andrei Radu, Alonso, Aidoo, Rodríguez, Moriba, Sotelo, Carreira, Rueda, Svedberg, Jutglà, Iglesias.
- Freiburg: Atubolu, Ginter, Lienhart, Treu, Makengo, Eggestein, Manzambi, Beste, Suzuki, Grifo, Matanović.
Match facts and head-to-head
- The first leg of this tie ended with a resounding 3-0 win for Freiburg.
- Celta have lost their last two matches by the same scoreline of 0-3 - to Freiburg and Real Oviedo.
- Freiburg have won four of their last five games, and before heading to Vigo, defeated Mainz 1-0.
Prediction
Celta will almost certainly try to start aggressively and aim for an early goal, as that’s their only realistic path to reviving the intrigue in this tie. But the Galicians’ current form is too unstable, and their defense has left too many gaps even without serious pressure in recent matches. Freiburg, in this scenario, look like a team that knows how to play to the aggregate situation and keep control over a two-legged duel. The hosts might produce a spirited spell and manage at least a positive result on the night, but overall, it’s far more logical to expect a cautious approach, with the German club retaining their advantage and the match possibly ending in a draw.
