Alaves' bid to escape the relegation zone in La Liga will continue on Saturday evening when they make the trip to Balaidos to take on Celta Vigo.

The visitors are currently 19th in the table, four points behind 17th-placed Cadiz, while Celta occupy 12th position, picking up 40 points from their 34 league games this term.

Match preview

Celta have won 10, drawn 10 and lost 14 of their 34 league matches this season to collect 40 points, which has left them in 12th spot in the table, nine points clear of the relegation zone.

The Sky Blues should be looking up the table rather than down at this stage, as they are only three points behind 10th-placed Valencia, although Eduardo Coudet's side will not be able to repeat last season's eighth-place finish.

Celta's home form this season has been disappointing, picking up just 19 points from 17 matches, which is the fourth-worst record in the division, but they will be welcoming an Alaves outfit with the worst away record this term, with the strugglers collecting just six points from their 17 fixtures.

Coudet's team have picked up four points from their last three league games, beating Athletic Bilbao 2-0 on April 17 before losing to Getafe and drawing with Granada in their next two.

Celta have won their last four La Liga matches against Alaves, including a 2-1 victory in the reverse match between the two sides earlier this season.

Alaves, meanwhile, have boosted their survival hopes with two wins from their last three matches, beating Rayo Vallecano and Villarreal either side of a 2-1 loss at Mallorca.

Julio Velazquez's side are currently 19th in the table, four points behind 17th-placed Cadiz, meaning that they will need to enjoy a strong end to the season to stand a chance of staying in the league.

Alaves will face Espanyol, Levante and Cadiz in their final three La Liga matches of the campaign, and the fixtures against Levante and Cadiz could be particularly crucial, as the two sides are also battling to avoid relegation to the Segunda Division for the 2022-23 campaign.

El Glorioso have been present in each of the last six La Liga campaigns, so their relegation back to the second tier would be somewhat of a surprise, but they have finished 16th in their last two seasons at this level.

Velazquez has delivered six points since taking charge of Alaves at the start of April, and it would be some achievement if he managed to lead the club out of the relegation zone in the final weeks of the season.

Team News

Celta will again be missing Hugo Mallo due to a knee injury, while Santi Mina will be unavailable for the rest of the season, having been sentenced to four years in prison after being found guilty of sexual abuse.

Thiago Galhardo is expected to take Mina's spot alongside Iago Aspas, while Nolito and Denis Suarez could also be introduced into the starting XI for Saturday's fixture.

There are unlikely to be any changes to the back four, though, with Nestor Araujo available despite being withdrawn in the latter stages of the 1-1 draw with Granada.

As for Alaves, Gonzalo Escalante and Ruben Duarte will miss the match through suspension, meaning that there could be starts for Tomas Pina and Facundo Tenaglia.

There are not expected to be any alterations in midfield or further forward, though, with Joselu again set to lead the line with support from Manu Garcia, Edgar Mendez and Luis Rioja.

Head coach Velazquez has plenty of options for change, with Pere Pons, Jason and Martin Aguirregabiria also pushing to be involved in the starting side this weekend.

Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:
Dituro; Vazquez, Aidoo, Araujo, Galan; B Mendez, Tapia, D Suarez, Nolito; Galhardo, Aspas

Alaves possible starting lineup:
Pacheco; Navarro, Laguardia, Lejeune, Tenaglia; Pina, Loum; Mendez, M Garcia, Rioja; Joselu

We say: Celta Vigo 1-1 Alaves

Alaves desperately need wins at this stage of the season, but they have only been victorious on one occasion on their travels in La Liga this term. The Basque outfit have shown recent improvement, though, and we believe that they will be good enough for a point on Saturday evening.

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