Celta Vigo – Lille: Opposite trajectories ahead of a make-or-break night 
Balaídos hosts a Thursday night tie that could decide the rest of both clubs’ European seasons. Celta arrive on a rare roll; Lille turn up in Galicia with their confidence shot. The two have never met in competition — Lille only beat them in a friendly in 2024.
Celta Vigo: A blistering start to 2026 that changes everything 
They’ve kicked off 2026 on fire: three games, three wins, 11 goals for, one against. After bossing Valencia, Sevilla and Rayo, Celta have shoved themselves back into the European conversation in La Liga. The 3-0 win over Rayo, who were down to ten, extended a six-game unbeaten run. Claudio Giráldez’s men sit seventh now, level with Betis and sniffing the top five. In Europe it’s patchier: three wins, three defeats, and 19th place keeps them just above Lille. The top eight looks a stretch, but the playoff spots are within reach. One slip on Thursday and they could drop out of the top 24 before a tricky trip to Belgrade. They don’t have a long history vs French clubs, but the win over Nice in October proved they can deliver at home.
Lille: 2026 is hurting them 
Where Celta pick up speed, Lille stall. The Lille side have lost their first three matches of the year: Rennes, Lyon in the French Cup, then a 3-0 hiding at the Parc des Princes. A bad run they hadn’t seen in over a year. That slide has pushed them from the podium down to fifth in Ligue 1. Europe offers no reprieve: three defeats in four, including a 1-0 loss at Young Boys. Lose in Vigo and their playoff chances take a hit — it would also be a first for the club: three consecutive away defeats in the Europa League. To be fair, Lille have picked up big scalps in Spain recently (Seville, Atlético, Real Madrid since 2021). Problem is, current form doesn’t back that up.
Likely lineups
Celta Vigo :
Radu ; Fernández, Starfelt, Alonso ; Mingueza, Román, Sotelo, Carreira ; Aspas, Iglesias, Zaragoza
Lille :
Özer ; Meunier, Ngoy, Mandi, Perraud ; Bentaleb, Mukau ; Mbappé, Haraldsson, Correia ; Giroud
Key points
- Five of Celta’s six European games have seen both teams score.
- All of Celta’s Europa matches have featured at least three goals.
- Lille are on three straight defeats in 2026.
- Celta have gone six league matches without defeat.
- Both teams are level on points in the group stage.
Football Prediction Celta Vigo – Lille
Celta Vigo to win
Celta arrive brimming with confidence, slick in possession and firing in front of goal.
Lille, by contrast, are gasping for breath and short on belief.
Given that, the Galicians look better placed to take the three points — though expect a tight finish.
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