Barcelona FC Faces Celta Vigo in La Liga Return: Key Players, Injuries, and Match Preview

FC Barcelona is set to face Celta Vigo in a highly anticipated La Liga match on Saturday, November 23, at the Estadio Balaídos. This encounter marks the return of La Liga action after the recent international break. Barcelona, currently six points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga standings, will be looking to bounce back from a surprise 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad before the break.

The match promises to be an exciting one, given the scoring form of both teams. Celta Vigo is fourth in La Liga for goals scored with 20, but they also have significant defensive concerns, having conceded 22 goals. Barcelona, on the other hand, has outscored every other team in the league. Key players for Barcelona, including Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Dani Olmo, and Lamine Yamal, are among the top ten highest goalscorers in La Liga. Lewandowski, in particular, has a strong record against Celta Vigo, having scored four of Barcelona’s five goals in their last two meetings.

However, Barcelona will be without several key players due to injuries. Lamine Yamal, Ansu Fati, Marc Bernal, Andreas Christensen, Ronald Araujo, and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are all out. Despite these absences, coach Hansi Flick remains optimistic, highlighting the team’s adaptability and the quality of the available players. Robert Lewandowski and Héctor Fort have returned to the squad after recovering from their injuries.

Celta Vigo also has some fitness concerns, with questions over the availability of Luca de la Torre, Jailson, and Sergio Carreira. The match will also see Barcelona players reunite with former teammates Óscar Mingueza, Ilaix Moriba, and Marcos Alonso, who now play for Celta Vigo.

The game kicks off at 21:00 CET (9 PM local time in Spain), which translates to 20:00 GMT for UK and Ireland viewers and 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT for fans in the USA. The match will be broadcast on various platforms, including ESPN+ and ESPN Deportes for US-based fans, and Premier Sports and Amazon Prime Video for viewers in the UK.