RC Celta Vigo (13th, 13pts) vs FC Barcelona (3rd, 25pts)*
*Standings at time of writing
Competition/Round: 2025-26 La Liga, Matchday 12
Barcelona Outs & Doubts: Marc-André ter Stegen, Joan Garcia, Gavi, Pedri, Raphinha (out), Jules Kounde (doubt)
Celta Vigo Outs & Doubts: Javi Rueda, Williot Swedberg, Hugo Álvarez, Carlos Domínguez (doubt)
Date/Time: Sunday, November 9, 2025, 9pm CET/WAT (Barcelona & Nigeria), 8pm GMT (UK), 3pm ET, 12pm PT (USA), 1.30am IST (India, Monday)
Venue: Estadio de Balaídos, Vigo, Spain
Referee: Javier Alberola Rojas
VAR: Valentín Pizarro Gómez
How to watch on TV: ESPN Deportes (USA), Premier Sports 2 (UK), SuperSport (Nigeria), Movistar (Spain), others
How to watch online: ESPN+ (USA), Premier Sports Player (UK), FanCode (India), Movistar+ (Spain), others
Following a wild draw away to Club Brugge in the Champions League in midweek, Barcelona return to action for their last game before the final international break of 2025 as the Catalans travel to beautiful Galicia to face Celta Vigo at the Balaídos Stadium on Sunday Night Fútbol.
Barça come into this one looking to gain some momentum heading into the final month of the calendar year after a dreadful defensive performance in Belgium, which was the worst yet in what has been a very disappointing season defensively. The lack of pressing, the bad decisions with the offside trap, the poor goalkeeping without Joan Garcia, all of it has contributed to a truly horrendous stretch without the ball for Hansi Flick’s team.
The coach has made it clear he won’t change his defensive system, and that it’s up to the forward players to be more connected and press better without the ball so the defenders aren’t exposed as often. Flick wants better distance between the lines, more pressure on the ball and for his team to regain the trademark intensity that made them the most exciting team in Europe last season, but we’re more than three months into the current campaign and hope is starting to run out that we’ll see anything that resembles the 2024-25 team.
And to make matters worse, Barça have to face one of their toughest tests of every season: a trip to Balaídos to face Celta Vigo. And this particular Celta team is absolutely on fire, having won their last five and not losing any of their last eight in all competitions.
But before that amazing streak began Celta went eight straight games without a win to start the season, including an insane sequence of five consecutive 1-1 draws in La Liga that led to a much slower start than usual for the Sky Blues. But they’re back to their best now, and have a squad filled with talented, smart and quick players who are a horrible matchup for Barça and their defense.
Their threat on the wings is gigantic in their 3-4-3 system and they’re a menace in transition, and Celta will have a ton of joy on the counter if Barça afford them the same amount of space that Brugge enjoyed in midweek. This team is much, much better than their position in the table suggests, and they’re off to a great start in the Europa League as well.
Barça should be fully aware of Celta’s threat, and this is about as vulnerable as the Blaugrana have been in quite a while ahead of a trip to Vigo. It’s hard not to expect the worst in this one, and it’s up to Flick and his troops to find their best version and pick up three massive points in one of the toughest grounds in the country.
Let’s dance.
POSSIBLE LINEUPS
Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Eric, Araujo, Cubarsí, Balde; Casadó, De Jong; Yamal, Fermín, Rashford; Ferran
Celta Vigo (3-4-3): Villar; Fernández, Starfelt, Alonso; Mingueza, Sotelo, Moriba, Carreira; Jutglà, Iglesias, Zaragoza
PREDICTION
Given the form of both teams and just how hard it is to win at Balaídos, I just can’t see us winning this one. I expect several defensive scares, loads of goals, and Barça leaving Vigo content with a point: 2-2 draw.
