Predictions La Liga - Celta Vigo vs Alaves

La Liga -  Celta Vigo vs Alaves
Match Time: 17-08-2024 00:00 Saturday (GMT+7)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips
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Celta concluded their preparations for the new season against West Ham United on Saturday, drawing 2-2 with the Premier League club before losing the resulting penalty shootout.

An impressive pre-season saw the Sky Blues win four of their seven games, suffering just one defeat in the process in normal time, and they look in good shape for the start of the 2024-25 campaign.

Claudio Giraldez's side have made three smart signings this summer, turning Unai Nunez's loan move into a permanent deal, in addition to bringing in Borja Iglesias and Ilaix Moriba on loan, with the former arriving from Real Betis and the latter from RB Leipzig.

Celta finished 13th in La Liga last season, boasting a record of 10 wins, 11 draws and 17 defeats from 38 matches to collect 41 points, and they are operating at the top level for the 13th season in a row.

The Sky Blues have back-to-back home games to open the season, welcoming Valencia in their second match on August 23, before ending the month with a trip to Villarreal.

Alaves, meanwhile, secured a return to La Liga for the 2023-24 campaign through the 2022-23 Segunda Division playoffs, and a strong season saw them finish in 10th spot in the table.

The Blue and Whites collected 46 points from their 38 matches and finished 13 points clear of the relegation zone, but they could be one of a number of teams battling against the drop this season.

Luis Garcia Plaza's side have been busy in the transfer market, signing eight players in total, while there have also been a number of departures, so there will be a fresh look to the squad this season.

Alaves played a lot of football during pre-season, taking part in eight friendlies, including a 2-1 success over Osasuna last weekend, so they should be ready for the start of the new campaign.

El Glorioso will tackle Real Betis (H) and Real Sociedad (A) in their final two games in August, and it will be fascinating to see how the team perform this season considering the huge turnaround of players.

Prediction: Celta Vigo 2-1 Alaves