Celta de Vigo

vs

SC Freiburg

Preview

Celta de Vigo

• Celta are a free-flowing team who like to press high, morph from a back five into a front five and overload the half-spaces in transition.
• Claudio Giráldez has not found a way to stop the bleeding at the back while continuing to enjoy the fruits of Celta’s high-risk/high-reward strategy.
• The result has been a mixed bag of results - winning 3-2 over Valencia and losing 0-3 to Freiburg and 3-4 to Alavés within the last few weeks.
• Celta are sixth in LaLiga, which will keep them in the hunt for European qualification spots next season.

Freiburg

• There is an intriguing clash of styles between Freiburg’s structural, rigid 4-2-3-1 and Celta de Vigo’s fluid, transition-based approach on Thursday when the Bundesliga side look to finish off their Europa League win over Celta in the quarter-final return leg.
• Freiburg’s 3-0 win in the first leg was no fluke, with Vincenzo Grifo, Niklas Beste and Matthias Ginter getting on the scoresheet in a performance that the Bundesliga club dominated.
• Grifo is Freiburg’s creative engine and scored in the win over Celta, but he also has a knack for scoring goals and creating them from dead ball situations, which could trouble Celta’s defensive line.
• Freiburg’s Europa League form has been exceptional - coming from a goal down in the last round to hammer Genk 5-1 at home and now beating Celta by three clear goals to put themselves firmly in the driver’s seat of the aggregate score.
• Freiburg boss Julian Schuster has instilled discipline in pressing, structural balance and efficient transitions that has seen the club make a European surge.

Head-to-Head

• Freiburg lead 3-0 in their Europa League quarter-final clash with Celta de Vigo after a resounding victory at home.
• Celta need to score three goals to take the tie to extra time, with anything less seeing Freiburg through to the semi-finals.

Key Players

• Vincenzo Grifo is Freiburg’s creative engine and scored in the win over Celta, but he also has a knack for scoring goals and creating them from dead ball situations, which could trouble Celta’s defensive line.
• Vincenzo Grifo, Niklas Beste and Matthias Ginter getting on the scoresheet in the first leg underlined Freiburg’s threat.
• Celta have the firepower to trouble the visitors with top scorer Borja Iglesias their best bet to lead the comeback, but the fact that Ferran Jutglà and Williot Swedberg have contributed key goals in recent LaLiga matches is not ideal.
• Carl Starfelt, Celta’s rock at the heart of defence, missed the first-leg through injury and remains a doubt, which won’t help Celta cope with Ginter’s threat from set pieces or Grifo’s creativity.

Betting Insights

• Celta’s need to attack should see the Over 2.5 goals selection appeal at around the 1.93 odds.
• Celta to win in the outright market will appeal more at 1.96 because of the way the tie is shaped, but Freiburg and the draw are both coming in at 3.6.

Prediction

• Celta’s need to push forward to get on the scoreboard should open the game up, but Freiburg’s balance and ability to counter-attack should make them the favourites to go through to a historic semi-final.
• Freiburg should have enough to beat Celta in Spain.