Celta Vigo Eyes Four-Point Push Ahead of Levante Test — Celta Vs Levante
Celta Vigo’s back-to-back wins have pulled them within four points of fifth place, and celta vs levante on Tuesday now carries real weight at both ends of the table. Claudio Giraldez’s side are sixth after 35 matches, while Levante arrive at Balaidos two points above safety.
The gap is narrow enough for Celta to keep chasing a first Champions League return since the 2003-04 competition. It is also tight enough for Levante to need points quickly, with two of their final three fixtures away from home.
Giraldez and Borja Iglesias
Celta beat Elche 3-1 at home before edging Atletico Madrid 1-0 at the Metropolitano, where Borja Iglesias scored with a chipped finish. That away win was their first league victory at Atletico since June 2007, and it left them in touching distance of fifth-placed Real Betis ahead of their final three games.
Giraldez now has Celta on 13 wins, 11 draws and 11 losses from 35 matches. The record keeps them on course for a second consecutive season of Europa League football, but the Champions League chase remains alive because the margins above them are still open.
Levante at Balaidos
Levante come in after a 3-2 home win over Osasuna on Friday, a match that flipped after Victor Garcia’s two-minute brace and Karl Etta Eyong’s 90th-minute goal. Sergio Herrera was sent off on the stroke of half time for deliberately handling the ball outside his box, and the result followed a 5-1 defeat away to Villarreal.
The away numbers are the harder read for Levante. They have taken two points from their last seven away matches since beating Sevilla in January, even though they are unbeaten in six games at the Estadi Cuitat de Valencia.
Previous Celta Meetings
Celta have won three of their previous four meetings with Levante and took November’s reverse fixture 2-1 thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Miguel Roman. Levante have failed to win any of their last five games against Celta, although they avoided defeat in three of their previous four visits to Balaidos.
The home setting cuts both ways for Celta as well. They have the second-worst home record in the top flight and have taken 20 points from their 17 La Liga outings at Balaidos, so Tuesday gives them a chance to add pressure in the race above while protecting their own position from below. Celta will be without Carl Starfelt, Miguel Roman and Matias Vecino because of injury.
