Four days after a scoreless draw at Elche left Claudio Giraldez’s side without a goal in La Liga, Celta Vigo return to Balaídos with a more pressing problem: they are still waiting for their first Europa League point after a 1-0 defeat at Omonia Nicosia in the opening round. Juventus arrive having done the opposite in Europe, putting five goals past NEC Nijmegen in matchday 1, and Luciano Spalletti’s squad carries that confidence into Galicia despite a flat 1-1 at Cagliari last weekend in Serie A. Two clubs at opposite ends of the early Europa League picture meet on Thursday, and for Celta, the arithmetic of a long campaign does not yet demand panic, but a second consecutive defeat would make things uncomfortable fast.
What’s at stake
The Europa League league stage sends 24 of 36 clubs through to the knockout rounds, so the margin for error across the competition is generous. After one matchday, Celta are pointless and goalless in the section while Juventus banked three points with that 5-0 win over NEC Nijmegen. A Celta win here would level them up and immediately reopen the race; another defeat would leave them chasing from behind with a thin goal difference and no points on the board after two games.
For Juventus, three more points would put them in a commanding early position in the league stage and give Spalletti room to rotate in later rounds. A loss, while far from terminal at this stage of the competition, would hand the initiative to other clubs already on three points and raise questions after that unconvincing Serie A draw at Cagliari. The pressure sits more heavily on the home side, but Juventus have their own reasons to want a clean result rather than just a point.
How they got here
Celta’s last five across all competitions read W-D-L-D-D (most recent last). The 5-0 home demolition of Racing Santander in late September showed what this squad can do when everything clicks, but that result has been bracketed by four matches without a win, including the Europa League defeat in Cyprus and back-to-back league draws. The 0-0 at Elche was particularly flat: no goals scored in two of their last three outings is not the form you want heading into a European home game. Juventus, meanwhile, are W-D-L-W-L across the same window. The 5-0 European romp over NEC and the 2-0 league win against Atalanta stand as proof of quality, but the friendly loss to Cremonese and the Cagliari draw show a side that can switch off when motivation dips.
Celta earned one point from their opening La Liga game of the season while Juventus took three from their Europa League opener, the only competitive match in that competition for both clubs so far. The gap in European form after a single matchday is stark: five goals scored, zero conceded for the visitors against zero scored, one conceded for the hosts.
Key battle to watch
Iago Aspas against the Juventus defensive line is the contest that could decide this match. Aspas has the experience and movement to expose high defensive lines on the counter, and Balaídos tends to amplify his influence. Koopmeiners and Locatelli will need to screen effectively and prevent Celta from building in the pockets around the Juventus back four. If Giraldez can get Ferran Jutgla and Aspas running in behind rather than chasing possession, Celta have the tools to make life difficult. Juventus’ ability to control tempo through Douglas Luiz and limit those transition moments will likely determine whether the away side take three points or settle for one.
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Our Prediction
Juventus have shown they can turn European nights into comfortable wins, and a Celta side yet to score in this competition gives Spalletti’s attack room to operate. That said, Balaídos with Aspas involved is rarely a passive environment, and Celta’s best performances this season have come at home. Expect Juventus to control long stretches but face a nervy enough finish that a narrow away win or a score draw are the two most plausible outcomes.