SPAIN: LaLiga

Date: 27-09-21

Time: 8:00 PM

Venue: Estadio de Balaídos (Vigo)

Two of La Liga’s (LL) early underachievers will battle for some desperately needed points to close out the seventh round of the competition. Celta Vigo and Granada both look a long way away from their top-half efforts last season, and with the teams having split the last two seasons of H2H clashes (two draws hosted by Granada and a two-goal margin win each when playing at Celta), this appears a fascinating contest.

Of the three LL clubs to have lost each of their first three home games of this LL season, Celta are the only ones to have trailed at the half-time break on each occasion. In fact, they’ve scored before the half-time interval in just one of their six LL fixtures at any venue, leaving them vulnerable to conceding deficits regularly.

All but one of their last eight tussles with Granada saw the half-time result replicated at the final whistle, but Granada’s start to their LL campaign suggests this could be an exception. Granada were the league’s only club to have secured three half-time leads at the beginning of this round – a remarkable number for a club yet to win this LL season (D3, L3).

However, patience must be wearing thin with new manager Robert Moreno after Granada’s worst six-game start to a top-flight season since their relegation-bound campaign of 2016/17. Moreno knows a thing or two about Celta though, after two stints as assistant coach in the last decade, so a breakthrough win against his former employer would be fitting.

Players to watch: Last round, Iago Aspas became the second player to score Celta’s opening goal twice this LL season, whilst Granada’s Luis Suárez was their only goalscorer in the corresponding fixture last season.

Recent Stats:

  • Celta Vigo’s form in last 5 matches: WLLLD.
  • Granada CF’s form in last 5 matches: LDLLD.

PREDICTION: Home/Draw and Over 1.5