Atletico Madrid Chase UCL While Celta Fight for Survival
Atletico Madrid vs Celta Vigo Lines, Preview
Atleti Six Points Clear of Fifth-Placed Athletic Bilbao
Atletico Madrid is embroiled in a fight for the fourth and final Champions League spot in La Liga with Copa del Rey winners Athletic Club. Heading into Sunday’s match vs Celta Vigo, Atletico are six points ahead of Bilbao. While this is a big match for Atletico Madrid, Celta Vigo have a lot to play for as well.
If Celta wins and Cadiz draw or lose vs Getafe, Celta will ensure their La Liga survival. We’ll cover the Atletico Madrid vs Celta Vigo lines as Atleti chase the UCL and Celta Vigo fight for survival.
Atletico Madrid vs Celta Vigo
Location: Estadio Civitas Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain
Day/Time:
Atletico Madrid vs Celta Head-to-Head:
Celta Vigo has struggled quite a lot vs Atletico Madrid in recent seasons. Celta have lost their last five matches vs. Atletico Madrid on the La Liga schedule. Atletico Madrid defeated Celta Vigo 3-0 last October as Antoine Griezmann scored a hat trick.
The pregame Atletico Madrid vs Celta Vigo lines priced Atleti as +115 favorites. Atletico Madrid is unbeaten in each of their last 10 matches vs Celta Vigo and Celta haven’t defeated Atletico at the Metropolitano since 2007.
Atletico Superb at Home
Atletico have won four of their last five La Liga matches. Three of those four wins have come over top-half opponents and they’ve picked things up down the home stretch. With Griezmann out due to a suspension, Atletico Madrid managed a 1-0 road victory over Mallorca last Saturday. Rodrigo Riquelme received the ball with a brilliant Cruyff turn and fired into the back of the net to put the visitors up 1-0 in the fifth minute.
It was all Atletico in the first half but Mallorca grew into the game and Atleti held on. Griezmann will return on Sunday and he’s the man who makes Diego Simeone’s offense tick. Alvaro Morata has also played just seven minutes over the last three matches due to an illness.
While Griezmann has scored 13 times and provided six assists in La Liga, Morata has found the net 14 times. Both players are among the La Liga leaders in goals as Morata and Griezmann rank seventh and ninth, respectively. Morata should be in line to play more minutes this weekend as Atletico looks to wrap up Champions League qualification over the next couple of weeks.
While Atletico Madrid’s 6-3-8 road record in La Liga has been highly disappointing, they’ve made up for it at home. They’re 15-1-1 at the Metropolitano in the league and their only loss was to Barcelona. With back-to-back home wins over Girona and Athletic Club, Atletico Madrid will be feeling confident about their chances here. At the moment, Memphis Depay is listed as doubtful and Thomas Lemar and Nahuel Molina are out injured.
Celta Vigo Winless vs La Liga’s Top Four
Heading into La Liga Matchday 34, Celta Vigo sat in 17th place in La Liga, precariously close to the relegation zone. Their worries compounded when Alberto Moreno put Villarreal up 1-0 in Vigo last weekend. Celta Vigo got a lifeline as Villarreal’s Santi Comesaña picked up a straight red card for a dangerous tackle. After that, Celta managed to win 3-2 with goals from Iago Aspas, Jorgen Strand Larsen, and Anastasios Douvikas.
With the win, Celta Vigo moved up to 15th place in the La Liga standings, eight points clear of the relegation zone. They still aren’t mathematically safe from relegation but a win this weekend is likely to do that. However, Celta Vigo’s road record this season leaves a lot to be desired. They’re just 3-5-9 away from Vigo and 1-1-4 in their last six road matches.
Only two teams have conceded more goals than Celta this season and they’ve allowed 1.6 goals per game over their last five. Celta’s offense hasn’t been bad, though, and Strand Larsen has led the way with 12 goals. Bettors should note that Celta are 0-7 vs the current members of La Liga’s top four this season, though.
Atletico Madrid vs Vigo Analysis & Odds
Atletico Madrid have won seven of their last ten home games vs Celta Vigo and the other three finished in draws. Here, the Atletico Madrid vs Celta Vigo lines list hosts Atletico as -230 favorites. With Griezmann back and Morata in line for more minutes, Atletico should be more potent offensively.
A full 40 of Atlético’s 63 La Liga goals this season have come at the Metropolitano and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they get on the scoresheet a couple of times here. Celta Vigo are +750 underdogs and their long odds make sense given their struggles vs top teams. Celta have also conceded at least twice in five of their last six home games.
A draw (+355) would be an excellent result for Celta Vigo and not the end of the world for Atletico, who have a decent cushion on Athletic Club. Bettors can back Atletico -1, -1.5 at -105, while Celta Vigo +1, +1.5 sits at -115. Each of Atletico Madrid’s last six home matches have finished with three or more goals. However, under three goals, it is priced at -115.
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