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Barcelona string of difficult fixtures continues as the Catalans travel to Galicia to face an in-form Celta Vigo side on Saturday. Barcelona bounced back against a rigid Athletic Bilbao side at the Camp Nou earlier this week as substitutes Ivan Rakitic, Riqui Puig, and Ansu Fati inspired the side to a narrow 1-0 victory.
Barcelona's superstars seemed to run out of ideas in the first half against Athletic Bilbao and struggled a compact and defensive outfit. While Celta Vigo will not approach the game with the same mindset, Barcelona will have to be wary of the opposition's attacking threat.
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Celta Vigo has been in sensational form since the restart of the La Liga season. The side may be at the 16th position in the La Liga table but has not conceded a single goal in the last three fixtures. The Galicians also had an impeccable outing against Alaves and plundered six goals against the struggling club.
Real Madrid's victory over an underpar Mallorca side earlier this week took Los Blancos to the top of the La Liga table. Real Madrid's distinct head-to-head advantage means that Barcelona will have to finish at least a point above its arch-rivals at the end of the season. The Catalans cannot afford to drop any more points and will have to go for the jugular against the Galician side.
Celta Vigo v Barcelona Head-to-Head
Celta Vigo has been Barcelona's Achilles heel in the past few seasons. Barcelona continues to dominate the head-to-head record between the two sides but has dropped several crucial points against Celta Vigo in the recent past.
Barcelona famously lost the 2019/20 edition of this fixture by a margin of 2-0 as several players were rested in preparation for the Champions League second leg against Liverpool at Anfield. The two clubs have played a total of 20 matches in their history with Barcelona winning 12 and losing four of these fixtures.
Barcelona's problems away from home are well-documented this season and the Catalans will have to play out of their skins to claim all three points against a well-drilled Celta Vigo side. Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet have had a calming influence on Barcelona's defence but will be thoroughly tested at the Estadio de Balaidos.
Celta Vigo form guide: D-L-D-W-W
Barcelona form guide: W-W-W-D-W
Also Read: 5 instances Lionel Messi's arch-rivals paid tribute to the legendary Argentine
Celta Vigo v Barcelona Team News
Barcelona seems to be struggling with injuries at the worst possible team in the season. Frenkie de Jong's calf strain is proving to be a massive blow to the Catalans' title aspirations. The Dutch midfielder is unlikely to play a part in the remainder of Barcelona's league campaign.
Arthur was given a vote of confidence by Quique Setien after his underwhelming outing against Athletic Bilbao. With speculations surrounding the Brazilian midfielder's departure to Juventus gathering pace, Arthur may well find himself on the bench against Celta Vigo.
Sergio Busquets will also play no part against the Galician outfit. The Spanish midfielder picked up a yellow card against Athletic Bilbao and will not be a part of this fixture. Ivan Rakitic will take his place in the heart of midfield. Riqui Puig and Ansu Fati were impressive against Athletic Bilbao and may find a place in the starting lineup.
Injuries: Ousmane Dembele, Frenkie de Jong
Doubtful: Sergi Roberto
Suspensions: Sergio Busquets
Celta Vigo v Barcelona Predicted XI
Celta Vigo Predicted XI (4-3-3): Ruben Blanco; Kevin Vazquez, Joseph Aidoo, Jeison Murillo, Lucas Olaza; Filip Bradaric, Rafinha Alcantara, Fran Beltran; Iago Aspas, Denis Suarez, Santi Mina
Barcelona Predicted XI (4-3-3): Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Nelson Semedo, Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet, Jordi Alba; Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal, Riqui Puig; Ansu Fati, Antoine Griezmann, Lionel Messi
Celta Vigo v Barcelona Prediction
Barcelona's match against Celta Vigo is immensely important in the context of this La Liga season. The Catalans cannot afford to slip up again after their draw against Sevilla and will be looking to move to the top of the table will a victory on Saturday.
Celta Vigo is a formidable attacking outfit and the likes of Iago Aspas and Santi Mina have troubled Barcelona in the past. Former Barcelona youth players Rafinha and Denis Suarez will also come into the match with a massive point to prove against their boyhood club.
Lionel Messi and his teammates will know that they have a mountain to climb in Galicia and the high-stakes situation may well bring the best out of some of Barcelona's underperforming superstars. Barcelona displayed its attacking prowess in the second half against Athletic Bilbao and it is likely that this fixture will see plenty of goals.
Prediction - Celta Vigo 2-3 Barcelona
