Celta vs Valencia prediction, H2H and probable lineups - 3 January 2026
One of the matches of La Liga round 18 will take place on Saturday at the Balaídos Stadium in Vigo, where the local side Celta will host Valencia. Here’s a bet suggestion for this encounter with a strong chance of success.
Match preview
Celta closed out 2025 in seventh place in the league table and remain in the hunt for European spots, trailing sixth place by five points. Under Claudio Giráldez, the team might not always dazzle, but they play a pragmatic and well-organized brand of football. Their main issue is the high number of draws: just one home victory has impacted their league ambitions.
This round, Celta face some squad challenges: Manuel Sánchez is suspended and Borja Iglesias is sidelined with an injury, weakening both their defense and attack. Nevertheless, the squad continues to show fighting spirit, and a clash with the inconsistent Valencia is a prime opportunity to kick off 2026 with a victory in front of their home fans.
Valencia head into this fixture in dire straits: they sit 17th in the table, just one point above the relegation zone. Carlos Corberán’s side have struggled in attack, scoring only 16 goals in 17 rounds. Their single beacon of hope is the consistent form of Hugo Duro, who has already netted six times in this La Liga campaign.
The visitors also have selection headaches: injuries to goalkeeper Dimitrievski and defender Cömert cast doubt on their participation. In midfield, Javi Guerra is expected to return to the starting lineup. Away from home, Valencia have been particularly poor—this season the ‘Bats’ are yet to win outside of Mestalla, and another trip may well bring further disappointment.
Probable lineups
- Celta: Radu, Fernandez, Starfelt, Alonso, Rüda, Beltrán, Román, Carreira, Swedberg, Jutglà, Zaragoza
- Valencia: Agirrezabala, Correia, Tárrega, Copete, Gayà, Rioja, Guerra, Pepelu, Almeida, Duro, Beltrán
Match facts and head-to-head
- Valencia have not won away from home in La Liga this 2025/26 season.
- Last season, Celta defeated Valencia at home 3-1.
- Both teams ended 2025 with draws in their last league matches.
Prediction
Given Valencia’s poor away form and defensive absences, coupled with Celta’s overall stability, the home side look the more likely to prevail. While it could be a tight contest, we expect a narrow victory for the Galicians.
