La Liga Preview: Aspas Aims to Continue Form to Help Celta Vigo Secure Consecutive Wins, Remains Unbeaten in Recent Encounters Against Valencia

On August 24 at 1:00 AM, the second round of the 2024-25 La Liga season will see Celta Vigo host Valencia. The two teams are very familiar with each other, having faced off numerous times both in La Liga and the Copa del Rey. From 2021 to May 2023, Valencia won all five matches against Celta Vigo. However, the recent trend has changed, with Celta Vigo remaining unbeaten in their last three encounters against Valencia.

In the first round of the new La Liga season, Celta Vigo secured a 2-1 victory over Alavés at home, starting the season on a winning note. The last time Celta Vigo started a new season with a win was in the 2015-16 season when they defeated Levante 2-1 in the opening match. In the match against Alavés, veteran Iago Aspas scored the winning goal in stoppage time, helping Celta Vigo overturn a 2-1 deficit against Alavés. Besides Aspas, 20-year-old Swiderski also stood out, coming off the bench to score the equalizer and then assisting Aspas for the winning goal.

Towards the end of last season, Coudet took charge of Celta Vigo as head coach and primarily deployed a back-three system, leading the team to five wins, two draws, and three losses in the final ten rounds. Ahead of the new season, Coudet experimented with a back-four system during pre-season. However, in the first round of the new season, Coudet opted for a back-three and achieved a winning start. Unless there are unexpected changes, Coudet is likely to continue with the back-three system in the second round against Valencia. Additionally, since Coudet took over, Celta Vigo has performed exceptionally well when trailing, having conceded first in nine matches but ultimately achieving five wins, one draw, and three losses in those games.

Valencia suffered a 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in the opening round of the new season. In that match, Valencia was at a significant disadvantage, with only 36% possession, 12 fewer shots than Barcelona, and 56 fewer attacks. Valencia is not a team that excels in away games. Last season, Valencia’s away record was five wins, four draws, and ten losses, with an away defeat rate of 52.6%.

In the opening round against Barcelona, Valencia frequently showed lapses in defensive concentration and failed to adequately mark key forward Robert Lewandowski. For the second round against Celta Vigo, Valencia must focus on defense, especially marking Iago Aspas. It should be noted that in their last encounter, Aspas scored once and provided an assist against Valencia. Recently, Valencia officially announced the signing of forward Rubén Sobrino. Last season, Sobrino made 39 appearances for Alavés, scoring five goals and providing four assists. Whether Sobrino can improve Valencia’s attack remains to be seen. According to Spanish media reports, the loan move of Vertonghen to Valencia is nearing completion.

In terms of historical encounters, Valencia has won 15, drawn 6, and lost 9 of the last 30 meetings between the two sides. However, in their last three encounters, Valencia has only managed two draws and one loss against Celta Vigo.

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