Atletico Madrid will seek to maintain their unbeaten record this season as they visit Balaidos for a La Liga clash against Celta Vigo.
Heading into matchday seven, Atletico sits in fourth place with 12 points, while Celta occupies the ninth position with nine points, trailing by three.
Celta Vigo has seen a stark contrast between their home and away performances this season. While they’ve secured victories in all three home games, their form on the road has been dismal, losing all three away matches.
Under the management of Claudio Giraldez, Celta began the season with consecutive wins against Alaves and Valencia, followed by losses to Villarreal and Osasuna. They rebounded with a 3-1 win over Real Valladolid but recently suffered a 3-1 defeat to Athletic Bilbao, where Iago Aspas’ first-half penalty was their only consolation.
Although Celta has scored 14 goals, the third-highest in the league, their defensive struggles are evident as they have conceded 13 goals, making them the second-worst defensive side in La Liga. Despite their shaky defense, they remain unbeaten at home in their last nine league games (W7, D2), though their recent record against Atletico Madrid is poor, failing to win any of their last 11 encounters.
Atletico Madrid has made a strong start to the 2024-25 season, registering four wins and three draws in their first seven competitive matches. Although unbeaten, Atletico has dropped points in three games, including frustrating draws against Espanyol and Rayo Vallecano. Despite these setbacks, their recent Champions League win over RB Leipzig and a positive run of form will give them confidence.
Diego Simeone’s side has won their last six matches against Celta, including a dominant 3-0 win at Balaidos last season. Atletico will hope to build momentum ahead of their much-anticipated derby against Real Madrid on Sunday.
Celta faces injury concerns, with Mihailo Ristic, Luca de la Torre, and Oscar Mingueza sidelined. Marcos Alonso may be brought into the starting lineup.
Atletico also deals with injuries to Cesar Azpilicueta and doubts surrounding Thomas Lemar and Pablo Barrios, though Rodrigo De Paul is expected to return. Antoine Griezmann is likely to start after being rested last weekend.
Prediction: Celta Vigo 1-2 Atletico Madrid
