Celta de Vigo

After securing late victories in their past two La Liga games it’ll be a buoyant Atletico Madrid who head to Vigo on Sunday night, even though Barcelona are likely to have knocked them off the top of the Liga table by then.

Barca host Granada at the Camp Nou in what is likely to be the simplest of home victories, but that shouldn’t deter an Atletico side that is likely to show a host of changes from the one which drew at Rayo Vallecano in the Copa del Rey in midweek.

Diego Simeone will be mindful of the fact that his team haven’t quite been in top gear over the past couple of weeks in league fixtures, but they’ll need to be against a Celta side enjoying a fine campaign and currently sitting fifth in the table.

That said, two defeats in their last two league games will ensure it will be a somewhat nervy Celta who play host on Sunday night, in what promises to be a keenly fought contest.

Date: Sunday, January 10

Time: 7:30 p.m. GMT / 2:30 p.m. ET

Venue: Estadio de Balaidos, Vigo

TV Info: Sky Sports 2

Live Stream: Sky Sports

Last 6 Results

Celta Vigo

Won 1-0 vs. Espanyol (Home)

Won 1-0 vs. Almeria (Home)

Won 2-0 vs. Granada (Away)

Lost 1-0 vs. Athletic Bilbao (Home)

Lost 2-0 vs. Malaga (Away)

Won 3-0 vs. Cadiz (Away)

Atletico Madrid

Won 2-1 vs. Athletic Bilbao (Home)

Won 1-0 vs. Reus (Home)

Lost 1-0 vs. Malaga (Away)

Won 2-0 vs. Rayo Vallecano (Away)

Won 1-0 vs. Levante (Home)

Drew 1-1 vs. Rayo Vallecano (Away)

Team News

Celta Vigo

Sergio Alvarez will start in goal for Celta after Ruben Blanco’s red card in the 2-0 defeat at Malaga in the league last week, while both Nolito and Fontas are still out injured.

Forward John Guidetti made his case for a La Liga start with two goals in Thursday night’s 3-0 Copa del Rey victory at Cadiz, but he’s still likely to return to the bench as coach Eduardo Berizzo opts to start with Iago Aspas in attack and flood the midfield behind him.

Fabian Orellana was replaced after an hour against Cadiz in order to get ready for this clash.

Possible XI: Sergio Alvarez, Johny Castro, Hugo Mallo, Cabral, Planas, Sergi Gomez, Wass, Orellana, Hernandez, Josep Sene, Iago Aspas.

Atletico Madrid

Diego Simeone shuffled his pack for the trip to Rayo Vallecano in the Copa del Rey in midweek, but we should see plenty of his big-hitters return here.

New midfield signings Matias Kranevitter and Augusto Fernandez were able to make their Atletico debuts in Vallecano, but both of those two and Thomas Partey could well return to the bench as Simeone’s first-choice midfield of Koke, Gabi and Saul return to their positions.

There should be changes at the back, too, while in attack Jackson Martinez and Angel Correa could come back into the side after Fernando Torres again disappointed on Wednesday.

Possible XI: Oblak, Juanfran, Savic, Godin, Filipe Luis, Saul, Gabi, Koke, Correa, Griezmann, Martinez.

Key Men

Celta Vigo: Iago Aspas

The form of ex-Liverpool forward Iago Aspas this season might surprise Reds supporters as they saw him struggle badly during his lone campaign at Anfield, but his 10 goals in 19 appearances have been a key reason behind his side’s impressive form.

Rested for the cup clash in midweek, he’ll return here, with his movement and finishing ability likely to prove crucial against the meanest defence in La Liga this season—which has conceded only eight times.

Atletico Madrid: Thomas Partey

It might look strange given that we’ve not named him in our possible Atletico XI, but the introduction of Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey from the bench could be crucial depending on how the game is going.

The 22-year-old has made critical interventions late on in the last two La Liga games, scoring the winner against Levante, and if he can come on to good effect again here then a starting berth might not be too far away.

Odds (via Odds Shark)

Celta Vigo – 5/2

Atletico Madrid – 21/20

Draw – 21/10

Celta Vigo forward Nolito picked up a hamstring injury during the Dec. 12 1-0 win over Espanyol. He is not expected to play again this year.

Continue for updates.

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Nolito Recovery Timeline Revealed

Tuesday, Dec. 15

News of the problem came via a club statement (h/t FourFourTwo), which noted the Spain international faces a month on the sidelines.

The 29-year-old has been in sensational form for Celta this campaign, notching eight goals and five assists in 15 appearances. As reported by FourFourTwo, the former Benfica man has been touted as a possible midseason transfer target for European champions Barcelona.

Celta have been one of the surprise packages early in the La Liga season, currently sitting in fourth position after 15 games. Nolito, a former Blaugrana man, has been central to their cause and will be a huge loss for any games he does sit out.

For manager Eduardo Berizzo, finding a player who can replicate his effervescent play on the flanks is almost an impossible task, even if Celta are pretty well stocked when it comes to attacking options. It means more emphasis will be on the likes of Orellana, Iago Aspas and Pablo Hernandez to add goals and assists to the cause.

If Celta can negotiate the festive fixtures without their talisman and remain in amongst the top four, it’d be a massive achievement. Then a returning Nolito could potentially be the boost they require as they seek to challenge for the Champions League spots.

#España- El chileno Orellana le tiro con un pedazo de pan de pasto a Busquets. Expulsado, aca https://t.co/2OFjzIoiuV

— Diego Gard (@diepanda13) April 5, 2015

In terms of reasons for getting sent off, Fabian Orellana has added a new edition to the bizarre. 

He threw grass at Sergio Busquets. 

No, really. The Chilean defender picked up a chunk of grass from the pitch and threw it at the Barcelona man's head. 

He was then rightfully shown his marching orders. But hey, at least he'll rest assured that his aim is actually quite good. 

Update Tuesday April 7:

Orellana received a one match for his grass throwing antics according to Spanish football writer Rik Sharma on Twitter. 

Fabian Orellana banned for one game for chucking grass at Sergio Busquets. Granada's groundsmen can put those pitchforks down.

— Rik Sharma (@riksharma_) April 7, 2015

https://twitter.com/revistadelaliga/status/584819581157568512

 [Vine]

Barcelona took on Celta Vigo in a seemingly lopsided La Liga matchup, but the contest proved closer than expected and the hosts sent the Catalan giants home with only a point from a 2-2 draw. 

It is not all that surprising that Celta was the more motivated team in this fixture. Barça is cruising toward another La Liga title, while the hosts in this match were trying to fight off relegation. 

Jordi Roura's side showed a lack of urgency in the first half, and this cost them in the 38th minute when Fabian Orellana rolled a ball through the center of the penalty area, and Natxo Insa tapped the ball passed Pinto and into the back of the net. 

But the lead was short-lived, and just five minutes later, Celta's decision to keep a high line proved to be a mistake. Lionel Messi played a ball over the defense, and Cristian Tello ran onto it, then delivered a fantastic finish to equalize. 

The score was tied 1-1 at halftime, but what happened next was inevitable. Messi received the ball in the center of the pitch in the 73rd minute, then played the ball out wide to Tello. The winger whipped the ball back into the box, and the Argentine superstar coolly finished to put his team in the lead. 

A victory seemed to be in hand, but Orellana delivered a cross onto Borja Oubiña's head in the 88th minute for a shocking equalizer. Barcelona was shell-shocked after this goal, and the team left the field stunned with the result. 

Grades

Lionel Messi, Barcelona: A

Messi was a constant threat to Celta's back line in this match, and the danger he posed helped to create space for Tello. Both goals started with the ball at his feet. 

His extraordinary creativity and ruthless finishing ability are on display once again this season. It was another brilliant performance from the world's best player, although it did not lead to three points. 

Borja Oubiña, Celta Vigo: B+

The key to playing competitively against Barcelona is not complicated. It takes effort, and a lot of it. Insa showed that in this match. 

The deep-lying midfielder had plenty of defensive duties in this match, but he still found the late energy to make a run forward and get his head on a cross to score the game-tying goal. 

Cristian Tello, Barcelona: A-

This wasn't the most cohesive performance from Barcelona, but individual brilliance was able to lead to two goals. Both Messi and Tello were able to torment the Celta back line when they had the ball at their feet. 

Both goals were orchestrated entirely by these two players, and Tello's grade deserves to be only slightly lower than Messi's. 

Fabian Orellana, Celta Vigo: A+

Orellana was by no means a constant threat in this game, but he was able to make two fantastic passes that led to two goals. Against Barcelona, this type of performance deserves the highest grade possible. 

This was an incredibly unexpected result. If not for Orellana's ability to find players streaking toward goal, Celta would have had no chance in this match. 

Cesc Fabregas, Barcelona: C

The Barcelona midfield was disappointing for the majority of the match. Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets were all left out of the starting lineup, and the replacements did not perform up to par. 

Fabregas faced higher expectations than Thiago Alcantara and Alex Song, and he failed to provide Barcelona with decisive and creative passes. If he had been sharper, the team likely would have taken full points from this fixture. 

What's Next

Barcelona will continue its Champions League campaign with a match against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday, before returning to La Liga on Saturday when they take on Mallorca. 

Celta Viga will take the pitch next on Sunday when they continue trying to stave off relegation with a match against Rayo Vallecano. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxmrCZcE3iM

In the fictional world of propane salesmen, Hank Hill once asked whether there's "anything beer can't do." In the high-stakes world of top-tier soccer, Enrique de Lucas would probably echo that sentiment.

On Monday, Quique and his Celta Vigo mates lost 4-1 at Sevilla in Spain's La Liga as Alvaro Negredo scored a hat-trick. The loss dropped Celta to 18th place with 23 points through 26 matches. Perhaps more importantly, though, Quique was pictured drinking a beer on the bench before the match—which he entered in the 75th minute.

Video of Quique sipping his brew appears above. The clip is our Set Piece Video of the Day for this Thursday. Enjoy, preferably with a fine, dry-hopped ale of your choosing.

As beer lovers, we have nothing but respect here. Around here we pride ourselves on being able to order a cerveza in a variety of languages, for a variety of occasions. Anyway, football and beer have a long—if sometimes spotty—history together.

Even so, the prelude to a football match is not usually one of those occasions. (Afterward, though?)

Last fall, Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb fined defender Domagoj Vida €100,000 for opening a can of brew on the team bus on the way to a match. A newspaper joked, "It was the most expensive beer Vida has ever had" (via Yahoo! Eurosport).

Then again, as Dirty Tackle points out, it could have been one of those non-alcoholic beers that are promoted as sports drinks. After all, beer does contain lots of carbs, and carbs do, after all, provide energy to the human body.

Either way, Celta Vigo lost the game, but Quique might have just become a hero to hop-heads everywhere. We say it's high time for a craft brewery to come out with a Quique 75-minute IPA.

(h/t Dirty Tackle)

Celta de Vigo is the second team for the year 2013 to be named La Liga BBVA Team of the Week. The club is facing Real Madrid today at the Santiago Bernabeu.

What will be fought between the two teams is the Copa Del Rey. The current article will discuss the reasons Real Club Celta De Vigo is the La Liga BBVA Team of the Week.

History

According to the  Celta de Vigo webpage, the club was formed as a result of a union between Vigo Sporting and Fortuna de Vigo. The union was approved by the Galician Football Federation on June 22, 1923.

King Alfonso XIII of Spain bestowed the Real title on the club after approval from the Galician Football authorities. The unified club was formally established on August 23, 1923.

The first year of existence was marked with never-ending victories over Galician rival clubs. The rest of the 1920s were marked with matches against Athletic Club Bilbao and Sporting.

Celta de Vigo had problems with the Spanish Football Federation, which did not want to recognize it. The club ended the 1920s relegated to the Second and Third Division.

The 1930s were a period of rising fortunes with recognition, promotion to First Division, new players, and a new manager. Jose Planas and Jose Maria Pena helped change the club's fortunes.

Manuel Copena Araujo or Nolete signed with Celta de Vigo from Pontevedra. He had a colorful career which included 96 goals for Celta Vigo before retiring in 1943.

The Spanish Civil War affected all of the clubs in the country, including Celta de Vigo. Many players participated in the war, and others participated in symbolic matches.

The end of the Civil War saw the rise of Pedro Brana Merino as President and Comesana as manager. Nolete and Celta de Vigo participated in a match against Deportivo La Coruna on May 15, 1940.

Nolete stunned Spain and Deportivo La Coruna with his only goal in the match. During the 1940's, Celta de Vigo alternated beteen First and Second Division.

The club had a string of victories in their matches against Real Madrid.and Oviedo. Celta de Vigo celebrated its silver jubilee in 1948. The 1950s to the 80s were also decades of disillusion including its stint at the UEFA Cup in 1971.

The decades of the 1980s and beyond were generous to Celta de Vigo. The club witnessed a comeback and promotion to the First Division.

Celta de Vigo defeated FC 2005 SA Arges by seven points in a UEFA Competition on September 29, 1998. The club won one UEFA Intertoto Cup among the multiple times in UEFA events.

 The Present

Celta de Vigo (or Celta Vigo) is currently in 15th place with 18 points, five matches won, 10 losses and three draws. The club will celebrate its 90th anniversary of positive contributions to Galicia this August. 

My thanks to the B/R readers for their time in reading the history of one of many clubs in La Liga. I also want to wish

Nikola Zigic (Birmingham City Forward) is the object of interest from Real Club Celta De Vigo (or Celta Vigo) and Malaga in the closing of the Summer Transfer Window. The latest transfer news between the English Football League and La Liga of Spain was reported in Sky Sports.

Celta Vigo is not the only La Liga club interested in the services of Zigic. Malaga CF expressed an interest in signing him as well.

The latest saga between Zigic and La Liga comes at a time when the possibility of moving to Mallorca has stagnated according to Sky Sports. The problem lies in Birmingham City wanting to release Zigic but was unable to agree on terms with Mallorca.

Who is Nikola Zigic and why are two La Liga clubs interested in him?

Nikola Zigic

Nikola Zigic is originally from Serbia and played football in Spain and England. His height according to ESPN Soccernet is 2.02 m which makes him one of the tallest players in football.

La Liga Experience

According to ESPN Soccernet, Zigic once played for Valencia CF before moving to Birmingham City in 2010. He also played briefly for Racing Santander during the 2008-2009 La Liga BBVA Season.

He also participated in the UEFA Champions League when playing for Valencia CF. Zigic eventually signed with Birmingham City.

Birmingham City Experience

According to Sky Sports, Zigic managed to score 22 goals in the 79 matches that he appeared in for Birmingham City. In the year 2011, Zigic managed to score the opening goal in Birmingham's match against Arsenal.

The result was a victory for Birmingham over the Gunners during the League Cup within the same year. Unfortunately, the victory and years with Birmingham cannot hide the fact that Zigic is one of its highest paid players.

The result is a deal between Birmingham City and the La Liga teams of Mallorca, Malaga, and Celta Vigo. Why should Celta Vigo sign Zigic?

Celta Vigo

Celta Vigo was recently promoted back to La Liga after an absence of five years. While they are still struggling after their recent losses to Malaga and Real Sociedad" target="_blank">Real Sociedad, Celta Vigo needs a player like Zigic with experience in Spain and England.

The reason is that maybe Zigic could help Celta Vigo win matches and avoid a return to relegation. According to the 2012-2013 La Liga BBVA Tables published in the UEFA website, Celta Vigo is 18th place in the relegation zone.

Conclusion

It remains to be seen whether Celta Vigo can sign Zigic taking into account its current status. While there is a personal preference for Celta Vigo, Malaga may eventually sign Zigic before the end of the current transfer window.