Real Madrid travel to Celta Vigo’s Estadio Balaidos on Wednesday (kick-off quarter past midnight UAE time), with their Copa del Rey hopes hanging by a thread.
The Galicians hold Los Blancos’ treble dreams in their hands and though they offer a gung-ho style of play which always affords the opposition chances, if Celta produce another performance like they did in the stunning 2-1 first-leg victory at the Santiago Bernabeu, there’s only one winner.
In Iago Aspas, they have one of the form strikers in the country — 13 goals in his last 13 games can’t be matched by anyone in Spain. And by contrast, Cristiano Ronaldo hasn’t scored from open play since November and was booed by his own fans at the weekend during another lacklustre showing against Malaga.
Eduardo Berizzo’s side are always good value to watch and goals are virtually guaranteed. In fact, they’ve only had one goalless draw this season — way back in September against bottom-club Osasuna. Since then, they’ve enjoyed numerous highlights including an epic 4-3 victory over Barcelona, the second time in two seasons that they’ve put four past the Catalans at home.
Herein lies Zinedine Zidane’s other problem, aside from the raft of injuries that have beset Real. Celta have lost just three times in front of their own supporters in 2016/17 and two of those came in the first three games of the campaign.
Playing very much on the front foot at all times, they like to get at teams and disrupt their flow, although a slightly more compact and defensive performance might be needed to stem the tide of a Madrid team that will be going all out to progress.
One player who Berizzo won’t be calling upon is the excellent Fabian Orellana. Though they are weakened by his absence with Aspas particularly reliant on his wing-play, the manager has transfer-listed the Chilean citing an unacceptable lack of respect.
A brave decision perhaps, but with more than adequate back-up in the shape of Pione Sisto, Jozabed et al, Celta can cope.
Away from their cup aspirations, the Galicians are in eighth position in the Spanish top flight, in the middle of six teams that are separated by six points. Their play deserves better.
Energetic and enthusiastic, Celta are occasionally prone to the sucker punch and up by three at Las Palmas earlier this season, the eventual 3-3 draw is perhaps a warning they can heed for the remainder of the campaign.
Shut up shop on occasion, and there’s little doubt that this special team can ease their way into a European berth, but with a headline-grabbing performance on Wednesday, Europe will be talking about them well before season’s end.
