Three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Celta Vigo

Following a disappointing Champions League defeat to Inter in midweek, Barcelona look to bounce back against Celta Vigo to keep their great run of games in La Liga intact.

Since dropping points on the first matchday against Rayo Vallecano, the Catalans have won every single game and are aiming to make it seven wins on the bounce to stay on top of the league standings.

Celta Vigo are always a very tricky opponent for the Blaugrana, as the latter have only managed two wins in the last five encounters between the pair.

In fact, the Catalans have not won two consecutive league games against Celta since 2013/14 campaign, when Xavi Hernandez was still an integral part of the playing squad.

In what is poised to be a very cagey title race between Barcelona and their eternal rivals Real Madrid, every dropped point could be costly, with the Galacticos hardly ever handing anything to their opponents.

Endless injury woes

Barcelona’s defenders cannot catch a break, with almost the entire starting backline sidelined due to injury during the busiest month of the schedule this season.

Ronald Araujo’s surgery and consequently lengthy layoff, which may also see him miss the World Cup arguably poses the biggest issue given his dominant presence at the back. Jules Kounde and Hector Bellerin are now also joined on the treatment table by Andreas Christensen, who picked up a hefty knock against Inter.

While Barcelona still have options in the midfield and attack despite Memphis Depay’s injury, the squad continues to thin out as Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessie has now picked up an injury in training which may sideline him for two weeks.

Frenkie de Jong has fortunately returned to fitness, which is a boost for Xavi, as he can also serve as a makeshift defender after two weeks out if it is absolutely necessary.

The Spanish manager may also repeat his selection against Mallorca by playing Alejandro Balde at right-back. Barcelona will hope this is enough to paper over the cracks in what is a crucial game at a crucial time.

The Iago Aspas test

Celta Vigo’s talisman has often been a bearer of bad news for the Blaugrana. Ever dangerous, Iago Aspas can create something out of nothing for the Galicians, and he seems to almost always find his feet against Barcelona.

In 15 league clashes against Barcelona, the 35-year-old Spaniard has amassed ten goals and three assists, proving a constant thorn in the Catalans’ side season after season. As a result, Celta have won four of those 15 games and drawn four more.

The left-footed number 10 seems to be ageing gracefully, as he has also begun this season in stellar form. In seven La Liga matches, Aspas has scored five goals and assisted one.

While defeats to Atletico Madrid and Valencia knocked a bit of wind out of Celta’s sails before the international break, they found their feet at the weekend to win against Real Betis before heading into this match.

Containing Aspas will be key to neutralising Celta Vigo, and it may be an even tougher task than usual, given the injuries to Barcelona’s most important defenders.

Essential for morale

A win at the Camp Nou this Sunday is essential this weekend not just for the league standings, but arguably more so for the team’s morale after two deflating losses in the Champions League to Bayern and Inter back-to-back.

Despite dominating against both teams at the Allianz Arena and San Siro, momentary lapses of concentration have left them in a precarious position in their CL group, with the prospect of dropping down to the Europa League for a second year running becoming increasingly likely.

With Real Madrid only behind on goal difference and seemingly able to find a way to win games in La Liga even from the most unrescuable situations, Barcelona have to stay focused to make sure they stay atop the league after getting there for the first time since 2020.

Beating Celta would see Barcelona on a seven-match winning streak and provide some much-needed confidence to bounce back and restabilize, before hosting Inter in the reverse fixture on Wednesday in a bid to get revenge.

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