FC Barcelona vs RC Celta: A key match

FC Barcelona and RC Celta are facing off this Saturday April 19th at 16:15 CEST at the Estadi Olímpic, a key duel in the LALIGA EA SPORTS title race and also in the battle to qualify for Europe. In the case of Los Culés, they’re still top of the table and they’re looking to bring the championship back to Catalonia, after losing it last term. As for the team from Vigo, they enter this matchday in seventh place and with dreams of qualifying for Europe again nine years after their last participation on the continent. 

Two squads packed with academy graduates

These two clubs have clear identities, and both place a lot of faith in their academies, in La Masia and in A Madroa. Both these prestigious football schools influence the sporting planning of these clubs, with both first-team coaches having reached double digits in terms of the number of academy graduates used. Several players have only just been promoted to the first team, such as Marc Bernal and Marc Casadó at Barça or Alfon González and Pablo Durán in Vigo. 

This isn’t anything new, as both clubs have grown a lot over the years thanks to their academies. The great FC Barcelona team of Pep Guardiola was built with academy players from La Masia, while RC Celta’s current coach Claudio Giráldez previously managed their B team. Now with the first team, he continues to put his trust in the methods of A Madroa.

Hansi Flick and Claudio Giráldez: Two coaches who like to play on the attack

Both of these teams’ coaches like to play attacking football, looking for the opposition goal. They both score a lot, with the league leaders on a division-high 80 goals scored, while the Galicians have netted 40 goals, an impressive tally for the club and only surpassed by FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Villarreal CF, Atlético de Madrid and Athletic Club.

In the case of Flick, he has trialled a few different systems, although the most common has been a 4-2-3-1, which can often become a 4-3-3. It depends a lot on which midfielders are playing, as it can more naturally become a 4-3-3 when Gavi or Fermín López are involved, while the 4-2-3-1 is deployed to better suit Dani Olmo. 

At RC Celta, Giráldez has also been flexible as he has created a 3-5-2 which can become a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, depending on the opponent, players used and situation. They like to deploy two wing-backs who can open up the pitch, with Marcos Alonso and Óscar Mingueza also in the back line to help bring the ball out. The aim is to bring possession towards the final third, where the likes of Fer López, Iago Aspas or Hugo Álvarez can try to find Borja Iglesias, Pablo Durán or rising star Alfon, who has been especially important in recent weeks. 

RC Celta know how to cause FC Barcelona problems 

Over recent years, RC Celta have often caused FC Barcelona problems. Last season, at the Estadi Olímpic, Barça even had to come back from a 2-0 deficit to eventually win 3-2 with three goals scored in the final 10 minutes. Then, in their first meeting this season at the ABANCA Balaídos, it was RC Celta who this time came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with two goals scored after the 80th minute.

RC Celta have won away at FC Barcelona fairly recently, on May 16th 2021 in what happened to be Lionel Messi’s last game for Barça at the Camp Nou. He scored his last goal for the club in that game, but it finished 2-1 to the Galicians. Moreover, Iago Aspas has a good record against the Catalan outfit, having scored 11 goals in 22 games against them. This match has all the ingredients needed to be a spectacle and also an important moment in the LALIGA EA SPORTS title race and European hunt.