- Celta are unbeaten in their last five matches (W2, D3).
- Celta are undefeated in the last two home matches (W1, D1).
- Athletic Bilbao have lost their last three matches.
Celta can nick it
The Celestes (Celta de Vigo) have taken a draw from their opening match of the LaLiga 2026/2027 season and now sit 11th in the table, which isn't a bad start by any means. However, they're going to need a bit more oomph going forward before they can really start climbing the ladder.
Celta drew their first game 1-1 at Napoli in the Friendly Club Matches 2026, before drawing 0-0 at Valencia to make it 1 draw from 1 in LaLiga 2026/2027. It's fair to say that they're coming into this with a bit of momentum, but not much of a bite.
Giráldez's men are a tidy unit that plays a back three that can seamlessly morph into a number of asymmetric shapes when in possession. They're patient in build up, but can also go to a higher tempo and they have the quality to hurt teams when the game turns on its head.
Athletic are in a hole
The pressure is on Athletic Bilbao early doors as they enter this round sitting 18th in the LaLiga 2026/2027 table with 0 points from 1 game. Los Leones (Athletic Bilbao) were defeated 1-0 at Atalanta Bergamo in the last round of the Friendly Club Matches 2026 before falling to a 3-1 defeat at home to Sevilla in LaLiga 2026/2027 last time out.
Edin Terzić's side are playing a high-tempo, pressing-heavy 4-3-3, and their intentions are clear; win the ball back as quickly as possible and attack in numbers. They've got plenty of quality in their ranks, and Yeray Alvarez, who has contributed 1 assist in 1 appearance in the current LaLiga campaign and will give them bite when they build up from the back.
Celta can keep the visitors at bay
The last meeting was 1-1 at San Mamés in LaLiga 2025/2026 and the record between the two sides is tight enough to suggest that Celta can lean on this fixture for support on Sunday.
Celta de Vigo come into this one at a shade of favourites at 2.32, which is odd when considering that Athletic Bilbao are available at 3.0. Celta are the more likely side to nick this one or at least hold firm, but we're going to push you towards the under 2.5 goals line at 1.73, while Both Teams To Score - No at 1.93 is a solid price, considering just how tight this is likely to be.
If you're looking to back the correct score, go for a 1-1 draw, because this is the epitome of a chess match - Celta's compact, hard-to-break block vs Athletic's relentless pressing style.
