Valencia will be bidding to bounce back from their opening-weekend defeat to Barcelona when they continue their 2024-25 La Liga campaign away to Celta Vigo on Friday night.
Los Che suffered a 2-1 loss to Barcelona in their first game of the new season, but Celta were 2-1 victors over Alaves, with the Sky Blues one of just four teams to win their La Liga opener.
Match preview
Celta are in their 13th straight campaign in Spain's top flight, and the Vigo outfit will have their eyes on a first top-half finish since 2020-21, having finished 11th, 13th and 13th in their last three seasons.
Claudio Giraldez's side made the perfect start to their La Liga campaign on August 16, coming from behind to record a 2-1 victory over Alaves, with Williot Swedberg and Iago Aspas on the scoresheet after Kike Garcia had sent the visitors ahead in the 17th minute of the contest.
Celta have not actually managed to beat Valencia since September 2020, with Los Che winning five of their last seven meetings in Spain's top flight, although both matches during the 2023-24 campaign finished all square.
The Sky Blues have made three signings this summer, with Unai Nunez arriving on a permanent basis from Athletic Bilbao after a successful loan spell, while Borja Iglesias and Ilaix Moriba have been signed on loan from Real Betis and RB Leipzig respectively.
Celta will be looking to improve on their home form this season, having only managed to win six of their 19 league matches in front of their own supporters in 2023-24.
Valencia took the lead against Barcelona in their La Liga opener last weekend, with last season's leading goalscorer Hugo Duro heading a cross from Diego Lopez into the back of the net in the 44th minute.
However, the visitors managed to turn the game around, with Robert Lewandowski levelling the scores shortly before the interval, before the experienced striker netted his second early in the second period.
Valencia can certainly take positives from their performance, but they again look short of being a challenger for the top four, with their last Champions League finish in La Liga coming back in 2019, and the six-time Spanish champions have finished 16th and ninth in their last two campaigns.
Ruben Baraja's side lost 10 of their 19 away league matches last season, so there is obvious room for improvement in that area, and it will be interesting to see whether any more new players arrive before the transfer window closes.
Los Che have brought in Dani Gomez, Stole Dimitrievski and Rafa Mir during the current market, but there could be funds available for further incomings, as Liverpool are thought to be closing in a deal for Giorgi Mamardashvili, who could remain on loan at Mestalla for the rest of the season.
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Team News
Celta boss Giraldez is expected to make changes to the side that started against Alaves, with Swedberg, who found the back of the net off the bench in that clash, set to come into the XI.
Javi Rodriguez was another half-time substitute against Alaves, and he should also start, while Iglesias could be introduced in the final third of the field for the home side here.
Aspas got off the mark for the new campaign against Alaves, and the 37-year-old should retain his spot in the XI, while Jonathan Bamba is also expected to start despite being replaced at the interval of the team's last game.
Luca de la Torre and Vicente Guaita, though, remain injury doubts for the hosts.
As for Valencia, Sergi Canos, Jose Gaya, Jaume Domenech, Fran Perez and Mouctar Diakhaby are all currently unavailable for selection due to fitness problems.
Head coach Baraja is expected to resist the temptation to shuffle his pack following the defeat to Barcelona, so it could be an unchanged side, with Andre Almeida supporting Duro at centre-forward.
Mir should continue in a wide area, with highly-rated centre-backs Cristhian Mosquera and Yarek Gasiorowski also set to feature in Valencia's starting XI for their second league match of the new campaign.
Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:
Villar; J Rodriguez, U Garcia, Dominguez, Mingueza; Alvarez, D Rodriguez, Swedberg; Aspas, Iglesias, Bamba
Valencia possible starting lineup:
Mamardashvili; Correia, Mosquera, Gasiorowski, Vazquez; Mir, Pepelu, Guerra, D Lopez; Almeida; Duro
We say: Celta Vigo 1-1 Valencia
Both league matches between the two sides last season finished level, and we are expecting another draw here. Celta will have been boosted by their home success last time out, but Valencia should be able to avoid a second successive defeat at the start of the new campaign.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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