- 1 Celta Vigo vs Athletic Bilbao: two flat attacks head to Balaidos
- 2 Celta Vigo: more a case of events than a deeper issue
- 3 Athletic Bilbao: zero shots on target in Barcelona, and that is the warning sign
- 4 La Liga prediction Celta Vigo vs Athletic Bilbao
- 5 First, a word on our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information can change
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Celta Vigo vs Athletic Bilbao: two flat attacks head to Balaidos 
One goal apiece across the first two league games. That is the combined attacking return from Celta and Athletic heading into Sunday 30 August at 21:30 Spanish time at the Abanca-Balaidos Stadium.
Both clubs come into round three still hunting a first win. Celta have one point, Athletic have none.
Claudio Giraldez has seen his side undone more by events than by the football. A red card swung the only game the Galicians had really been in control of.
Edin Terzic is still waiting for his first win in charge of the Basque side after two opening defeats. The mood in Bilbao is already getting heavy.
The two teams, though, were on very different paths last season. Sixth place and Europa League qualification was a better return than Athletic, who finished 12th and missed out on Europe for the first time since 2022-2023.
Recent history points to balance. Over the last five meetings, each side has won twice, with one draw.
The last clash, in May, finished 1-1. Celta struck first before Inaki Williams levelled it up.
With two stuttering attacks and two defences weakened by red cards, this one looks more likely to be tense than entertaining. That is the basis for the call.
One shared theme stands out from both starts: each team has had a player sent off. Those dismissals have had a direct impact on results.
Celta Vigo: more a case of events than a deeper issue 
Celta started their season with a goalless draw in Valencia. The point was no disgrace, but it already hinted at a lack of cutting edge.
On Thursday against Osasuna, the Galicians were in front inside 14 minutes. It looked under control before the break.
Then it all turned in the 51st minute when Marcos Alonso was sent off after a VAR review for a dangerous challenge. Kike Barja equalised three minutes later.
Ante Budimir converted a penalty in the 64th minute to complete the comeback. Celta are still pointless at home this season.
Marcos Alonso is suspended for Sunday, forcing Giraldez to reshuffle the back line. Borja Iglesias is also unavailable with a muscle injury.
Up front, the trio of Iago Aspas, Duran and Williot Swedberg is expected to stay in place. It is the same attacking setup used against Osasuna.
The points tally is starting to matter. A third match without a win would dump last season’s sixth-place side into territory they did not know a year ago.
Celta’s football is built on possession and short passing. That identity loses a lot of its punch when you are down to 10 for an entire half.
Iago Aspas is still dragging the side forward despite his age. His influence in the final third remains Celta’s best gauge of attacking output.
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Athletic Bilbao: zero shots on target in Barcelona, and that is the warning sign 
Athletic opened with a 3-1 home defeat to Sevilla. Yuri Berchiche’s red card after 11 minutes had a huge impact on the game.
The next trip, to Barcelona, was even more worrying. Beaten 2-0, the Basques failed to register a single shot on target in 90 minutes.
That statistic sums up the problem. Terzic has inherited a side that finished 12th last season and has lost its attacking edge.
The injury list is not helping. Benat Prados is out with a thigh problem, Daniel Vivian is still recovering from a groin issue and Andoni Gorosabel remains a doubt.
Unai Eguiluz, who suffered an ACL injury in May, has no return date. That leaves the defensive rotation badly trimmed.
Aymeric Laporte is expected to anchor the back line, with Nico Williams on the flank. Those are the two key pillars Terzic is leaning on to turn things round.
Last season, Athletic took a draw from Balaidos. A trip to Galicia has not usually been hostile, which at least gives the visitors a bit of hope.
Yuri Berchiche’s 11th-minute red against Sevilla shaped the entire Basque team’s opening weeks. Playing with 10 men that early distorts the read on any side.
Gorka Guruzeta should lead the line. The attacking return will depend above all on Nico and Inaki Williams finding space.
Probable Celta Vigo line-up: Radu; Rodriguez, Lago, Starfelt; Rueda, Roman, Moriba, Galan; Aspas, Duran, Swedberg
Probable Athletic Bilbao line-up: Simon; Louis-Jean, Laporte, Alvarez, Rincon; Canales, Jauregizar; Williams, Sancet, I. Williams; Guruzeta
La Liga prediction Celta Vigo vs Athletic Bilbao
Our prediction: under 2.5 goals in the match
The two sides have scored just two league goals between them in four games this season. That attacking return is the main reason for this bet.
Athletic come into this off a match in Barcelona with no shots on target, while Celta have found the net only once in two rounds. Neither side is arriving with an attack that looks ready to burst open a total.
The last meeting between these clubs, in May, ended with two goals. The two meetings the season before were tight as well.
With Celta missing Marcos Alonso and Athletic still searching for certainty, caution should rule on both sides. The call is for a tight game, under three goals.
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