Celta Vigo vs Barcelona: La Liga Leaders Seek to Bounce Back After International Break

La Liga leaders Barcelona are set to face Celta Vigo on Saturday, November 23, at the Estadio de Balaídos, as they aim to bounce back from a surprise defeat to Real Sociedad before the November international break. Despite the loss, Barcelona remain six points clear of second-placed Real Madrid at the top of the La Liga table.

Celta Vigo, currently sitting in 11th place, have been inconsistent this season but have shown they can compete against top-tier teams. They drew 2-2 with Real Betis in their last match and have won four of their seven home league matches this term. Celta will rely on former Liverpool striker Iago Aspas and on-loan Borja Iglesias, who has been in strong goalscoring form, to test Barcelona’s defense.

Barcelona, under Hansi Flick, have been in exceptional form this season, scoring 40 goals and conceding just 12 across their opening 13 league matches. However, they face several injury concerns, with key players like Lamine Yamal, Ansu Fati, Eric Garcia, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Marc Bernal, and Andreas Christensen unavailable. Robert Lewandowski, who missed the November internationals due to a back problem, is back in training and is expected to lead the attack, while Ferran Torres has also returned from a hamstring issue.

The predicted lineups for Celta Vigo include Guaita in goal, a defensive trio of Alonso, Starfelt, and Rodriguez, and an attacking front featuring Aspas and Iglesias. For Barcelona, Pena is expected to start in goal, with a midfield anchored by Frenkie de Jong and Marc Casado, and Lewandowski up front supported by Dani Olmo, Pedri, and Raphinha.

The match is scheduled to kick off at 9:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. ET and 12:00 p.m. PT in the US), and it will be available to stream via ESPN+ in the United States, Premier Sports in the UK, and BeIn Sports in Australia.