Real Madrid will travel to the northwest coast of Spain to take on Celta de Vigo on Saturday as Los Blancos look to extend their unbeaten start to the 2024-25 La Liga campaign.
Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo – Details | |
|---|---|
When | Saturday Oct. 19 – 3PM ET / 12PM PT |
Where | Abanca Balaidos, Vigo |
Where to Watch (USA) | ESPN+, ESPN Deportes |
Madrid entered the two-week international break fresh off a 2-0 win over Villarreal CF. The win came at a significant cost, however, as fullback Dani Carvajal suffered a season-ending knee injury. Star forward Vinícius Júnior also left the contest with a knock, but has since recovered and should be good to go this weekend.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men had been winless in two games prior to taking on the Yellow Submarine, losing 1-0 to 
Lille OSC in the 
UEFA Champions League and drawing 1-1 with city rivals 
Atlético Madrid within the span of a few days.
Madrid currently sits in second place in the La Liga standings on 21 points, three points off league leaders 
FC Barcelona.
Celta, meanwhile, have enjoyed a strong start to their season, winning four out of their first nine fixtures and sitting in ninth place with 13 points.
Los Celestes are in good form in the league, having beaten Las Palmas 1-0 and drawn 1-1 with 
Girona in their last two matchdays.
Celta Vigo Lineup vs Real Madrid
Claudio Giraldez’s side will have to make due without their talisman Iago Aspas, who will miss the clash through suspension. The 37-year-old forward is joint top-scorer for the club this season with four goals in nine appearances.
The brunt of the offensive responsibility will fall on the shoulders of experienced striker Borja Iglesias, who has gotten off to a strong start with his new club after coming back to Spain from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, scoring four goals in the league so far.
Midfielder Ilaix Moriba will also miss the game through suspension, while starters Luca de la Torre and Jailson are likely to miss the contest as they continue to rehab injuries.
Pablo Duran and Franco Cervi should be the two called upon to fill in as starters. Real Madrid academy product Marcos Alonso is expected to lead the back line as he takes on his youth club.
Celta Vigo lineup (3-4-3): Vicente Guaita (GK) – Javi Manquillo, Carl Starfelt, Marcos Alonso – Oscar Mingueza, Fran Beltran, Franco Cervi, Hugo Alvarez – Pablo Duran, Borja Iglesias, Williot Swedberg.
Real Madrid Lineup vs Celta Vigo
The Galacticos have gotten some positive news on the injury front ahead of their clash with Celta on Saturday, as Brazilian duo Vinícius Júnior and Éder Militão should be fit and available for selection in Ancelotti’s squad.
Madrid’s medical staff still have their hands full, however, as the likes of Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba and Brahim Diaz continue to nurse their ailments.
With Carvajal set to miss a significant period of time, Lucas Vázquez is the logical replacement at right full-back; a position the converted winger is very familiar with.
With Militao back in the squad, Aurélien Tchouameni should rotate back into his place in central midfield after filling in at center-back for a few games.
Real Madrid lineup (4-3-3): Andriy Lunin (GK) – Lucas Vázquez, Eder Militao, Antonio Rüdiger, Ferland Mendy – Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham – Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior.