Celta Vigo vs Levante: Match Preview, Predictions and Betting Tips
Published on Friday, 06 November 2026 by Steve
Celta Vigo vs Levante
Spain - LaLiga Prediction & Betting Tips
Match Overview
Aspas clarifies accusations made to him after Levante match | Celta
RC Celta de Vigo welcome Levante UD to the Estadio Abanca Balaídos on Sunday evening for a LaLiga Matchday 11 fixture that pits a mid-table Galician side with European ambitions against a Valencia-based outfit battling to escape the relegation zone. Celta, sitting tenth after an inconsistent but promising start to the 2026/27 campaign, will see this as a must-win home fixture against the team placed eighteenth in the table. With the Balaídos faithful behind them and a full week of preparation under Claudio Giráldez, the Celestes are firm favourites, and our model agrees — we are predicting a convincing 3-1 home victory. For more daily angles across every major league, check our football predictions for today page before kick-off.
Celta arrive at this fixture on the back of a frustrating 3-0 defeat at Vallecas against Rayo Vallecano, a result that snapped a mini-unbeaten run that had included a 0-0 home draw with Real Betis and a 2-1 home win over Deportivo Alavés. Giráldez's men have also been balancing Europa League commitments, famously winning 2-1 at Celtic Park in Glasgow thanks to a Javi Rodríguez brace, before falling 1-2 to Juventus at home in their most recent European outing. That continental load has tested the depth of a squad hit by injuries to Borja Iglesias, Carl Starfelt, Miguel Román, Hugo González, Álvaro Núñez and Jones El-Abdellaoui, yet the core of Iago Aspas, Ferran Jutglà, Pablo Durán and Williot Swedberg continues to produce enough attacking threat to make Celta one of the more entertaining sides in the division. You can follow how this fixture fits into our wider Spanish coverage via our hot predictions hub.
Levante, meanwhile, are enduring a difficult second season back in the top flight under Luís Castro. The Granotes have collected a modest return from their opening ten fixtures, with their only league win so far coming in a spectacular 5-2 home demolition of Real Betis in late August. Since then, Levante have drawn 0-0 away at both Osasuna and Málaga, shared a six-goal thriller in a 3-3 home draw with Sevilla, beaten Athletic Club 3-1 at the Ciutat de València, and lost their two most recent outings — 1-2 at Real Sociedad and a sobering 2-0 home defeat to Atlético Madrid. Away from home, Levante have been particularly toothless, and their trip to Vigo continues a run of fixtures in which they have struggled to impose themselves. Our full breakdown of similar away-day struggles can be found in the Deportivo La Coruña vs Levante preview, where the same pattern of porous travelling defence was on display.
Tactical Preview
Celta vs Levante UD (2-3) | Summary and goals | Highlights LaLiga EA Sports 25/26 | Celta
Formation & Key Matchups
Celta Vigo 4-3-3
Claudio Giráldez has settled on a 4-3-3 this season, a shape that allows Celta to overload the half-spaces and get their creative players between the lines. Ionuț Radu has been ever-present in goal, shielded by a back four that has most recently featured Javi Rodríguez, Sebastián Cáceres, Marcos Alonso and Sergio Carreira. The Uruguayan centre-back Cáceres, signed from Club América on deadline day, brings aggressive front-foot defending, while veteran Marcos Alonso organises the line. In midfield, Ilaix Moriba supplies the ball-winning presence, allowing Aleix Febas to knit play forward and the front three of Pablo Durán, Ferran Jutglà and Hugo Álvarez to rotate freely. Jutglà, who scored in the recent 2-1 win over Alavés, operates as the focal point, with Durán drifting in from the right and Álvarez — scorer against Juventus — cutting in from the left. Captain Iago Aspas remains the talismanic option off the bench, and his knack for late goals could be decisive once Levante's legs fade.
Levante 4-2-3-1
Luís Castro persists with a 4-2-3-1 designed to keep games tight and strike on the counter. Mathew Ryan has played every minute in goal behind a reshaped back line that now features veteran Algerian Aïssa Mandi, signed from Lille on a free transfer, alongside the left-footed Axel Tape on loan from Bayer Leverkusen. Jeremy Toljan anchors the right side while Adrián de la Fuente covers the left. The double pivot of Jon Olasagasti and loanee Hugo Sotelo — facing his parent club — must cope with Celta's rotations, while ahead of them Roger Brugué, Thiago Fernández and Dani Requena support teenage Belgian striker Yanis Musuayi, the club's €3,000,000 signing from Club NXT who was brought in as the long-term replacement for Carlos Espí following his big-money move to Real Madrid. Levante's plan will be to sit in a mid-block, frustrate the Balaídos crowd, and spring Brugué into the channels behind Celta's advanced full-backs.
Critical Vulnerability
Levante's away defensive record is the critical vulnerability that Celta must exploit. Castro's side have failed to keep a single clean sheet on their travels this season, conceding in every away fixture, and their left flank — with de la Fuente pushed high and Sotelo doubling up inside — leaves acres of space for a right-sided forward to attack. Pablo Durán, Celta's joint-top scorer this term, will find himself one-v-one against de la Fuente repeatedly, and the Granotes' double pivot lacks the recovery pace to rescue those situations. Conversely, Celta's own high line has been exposed in transitions, as Rayo Vallecano proved by punishing them three times in Vallecas. If Levante are to score — and we expect them to find one consolation — it will likely come from a quick direct ball into the channel behind Cáceres for Musuayi's raw pace, or a set-piece where Mandi's aerial presence threatens. That single goal, however, should be all Levante manage against a side that dominates territory at home. Our over/under prediction guide explores exactly why matches like this so often clear the goals line.
Team News & Squad Status
Celta Vigo 🟡🟡🟢🟡🔴
- Borja Iglesias (FW) — out with injury; the former Real Betis striker misses a reunion with familiar opposition.
- Carl Starfelt (DF) — injured; the Swedish centre-back remains on the treatment table.
- Miguel Román (MF) — injured; a blow to midfield rotation after his breakthrough last season.
- Hugo González (FW) — injured; the forward continues his recovery.
- Álvaro Núñez (DF) — injured; limiting options at right-back behind Carreira.
- Jones El-Abdellaoui (FW) — injured; the Moroccan winger is unavailable.
- Iago Aspas is fit and expected to start or feature heavily from the bench as captain.
- New signings Sebastián Cáceres, Abdoulaye Faye, Couhaib Driouech, Altay Bayındır and Aleix Febas are all available for selection in 2026/27.
- Javi Galán returned to the club on a free transfer from Osasuna and provides cover on the left flank.
Levante 🔴🔴🟢🟡🟡
- Manu Sánchez (DF) — injured; on loan from Celta but ruled out against his parent club.
- Enzo Bardeli (MF) — injured; the summer signing from Dunkerque misses the trip to Vigo.
- Carlos Espí departed to Real Madrid for €25,000,000 in the summer; Yanis Musuayi leads the line in his place.
- Carlos Álvarez sold to Club América (€6,000,000); creative burden falls on Thiago Fernández, on loan from Villarreal.
- Kareem Tunde joined West Brom, while veteran José Luis Morales left the club at the end of his contract.
- Hugo Sotelo (MF) is available on loan from Celta and is ineligible-versus-parent-club doubts aside, is expected to feature against his own club.
- Aïssa Mandi and Petar Ratkov (on loan from Lazio) add experience and depth to the spine.
- Roger Brugué is the team's leading scorer with five goals in 2026/27 and Levante's main counter-attacking threat.
Predicted Lineups
El Levante apuesta por Yanis Musuayi, un juvenil del Brujas | Flashscore.es
| Celta Vigo 4-3-3 | Levante 4-2-3-1 |
|---|---|
| Ionuț Radu (GK) | Mathew Ryan (GK) |
| Javi Rodríguez (RB) | Jeremy Toljan (RB) |
| Sebastián Cáceres (CB) | Aïssa Mandi (CB) |
| Marcos Alonso (CB) | Axel Tape (CB) |
| Sergio Carreira (LB) | Adrián de la Fuente (LB) |
| Ilaix Moriba (CM) | Jon Olasagasti (DM) |
| Aleix Febas (CM) | Hugo Sotelo (DM) |
| Williot Swedberg (CM) | Roger Brugué (RW) |
| Pablo Durán (RW) | Thiago Fernández (AM) |
| Hugo Álvarez (LW) | Dani Requena (LW) |
| Ferran Jutglà (ST) | Yanis Musuayi (ST) |
Head-to-Head Record
Levante stuns Celta Vigo to move clear of drop zone | beIN SPORTS
Celta Vigo have historically dominated this fixture, and the modern head-to-head record makes pleasant reading for the Balaídos faithful. Across the last twenty league meetings between these sides, Celta have won twelve, Levante five, with three draws — a record that reflects the Galicians' consistent superiority in this pairing, particularly at home. Celta won three of the four most recent encounters heading into this season, including a dramatic 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture at the Ciutat de València in November 2025, sealed by a Miguel Román stoppage-time winner. However, Levante did manage to spring a surprise in the most recent meeting, winning 3-2 at Balaídos in May 2026 despite Ferran Jutglà giving Celta an early lead — a result that Giráldez's men will be desperate to avenge in front of their own supporters. For a broader look at how these Spanish fixtures trend in the betting markets, our Spanish football betting odds analysis is essential reading.
At Balaídos specifically, Celta's record against Levante remains strong, with the Celestes unbeaten in the majority of recent home meetings, though Levante have avoided defeat in several of their visits to Vigo over the past decade, including two wins and a draw across their last four trips before last season's thriller. The pattern to note is goals: seven of the last ten meetings between these clubs have produced at least two goals, and both teams have scored in six of those. That trend directly supports our score prediction and our BTTS selection below. Punters looking to build this fixture into a larger Sunday card should visit our acca tips page for combination ideas.
Key Players Comparison
Ferran Jutglà — Celta Vigo
Leading the line with intelligence and clinical finishing, Jutglà has already scored crucial goals this season including the opener against Alavés and against Levante in past meetings. His movement between Mandi and Tape will be the single biggest problem Levante face all afternoon.
Roger Brugué — Levante
Levante's top scorer with five league goals in 2026/27, Brugué netted twice in the 5-2 rout of Real Betis. His direct running and willingness to shoot from range make him the visitors' most realistic route to a goal at the Balaídos.
Iago Aspas — Celta Vigo
The eternal captain. Even at this stage of his career, Aspas remains Celta's emotional and creative heartbeat, and his record against Levante — a club he has punished repeatedly over the years — suggests involvement in at least one goal here.
Yanis Musuayi — Levante
The 19-year-old Belgian arrives with a €3,000,000 price tag and enormous potential. His pace in behind is Levante's best counter-attacking weapon, though his inexperience against a seasoned Celta back line is a genuine concern.
The individual battles across the pitch heavily favour the hosts. In midfield, the physicality of Ilaix Moriba against the technically tidy but lightweight Hugo Sotelo double pivot should see Celta dominate second balls and territory, while out wide, Pablo Durán's one-v-one threat against Adrián de la Fuente is the most lopsided matchup on the pitch. Levante's hope rests on Brugué finding space against Sergio Carreira and on Mandi marshalling Jutglà without conceding fouls in dangerous areas — a task the veteran has managed only intermittently this season. If Aspas enters the fray with the game still goalless after an hour, the probability of a Celta breakthrough rises sharply, which is why we back the hosts to score in both halves. Our win either half market guide covers this angle in detail.
The Managers
Claudio Giráldez
Giráldez continues to build an ambitious project in Vigo, blending academy products like Hugo Sotelo and Pablo Durán with shrewd acquisitions. His first-choice eleven is settled, but the Europa League schedule has forced rotation, and the 3-0 capitulation at Rayo Vallecano prompted a week of intensive work on defensive transitions. Giráldez knows that home fixtures against relegation-zone sides are the currency in which European qualification is paid for, and a failure to beat Levante would represent a significant missed opportunity with a demanding winter schedule looming.
Tactically, Giráldez has shown flexibility this term, shifting between a 4-3-3 and a more conservative 4-4-2 out of possession, and his decision on whether to start Aspas or use him as a second-half weapon could define the match. His record against Levante is excellent, including the dramatic late win in Valencia last season, and he will demand a fast start to quieten any anxiety around the ground after the recent heavy away defeat.
Luís Castro
Castro is under mounting pressure in his second season at the Ciutat de València. The summer sale of Carlos Espí to Real Madrid for €25,000,000 forced a rebuild of the attack, and while the arrivals of Musuayi, Ratkov, Thiago Fernández and Bardeli offer long-term promise, the short-term results have been alarming — just one league win all season and no away victories. Castro's pragmatic 4-2-3-1 has kept scores respectable in some fixtures, but the 2-0 home loss to Atlético Madrid exposed a side short of both confidence and cutting edge.
The Portuguese coach's priority in Vigo will be damage limitation and a smash-and-grab point, but his away record suggests that even that modest ambition may be beyond this group. Castro has never beaten Celta as Levante manager, and with the injury to Bardeli removing one of his few creative outlets, he may be forced to field a defensive side and rely on set-pieces for any route to goal. His counterpart in the opposite dugout knows exactly how to exploit such caution.
Betting Predictions & Tips
Odds: 1.75
Celta are unbeaten in the overwhelming majority of recent home meetings with Levante, while the Granotes have lost most of their away fixtures this season and have not won on the road since returning to the top flight. With home advantage, superior individual quality and a full week of rest, the hosts are the standout selection. Celta's desperation to bounce back from the Rayo defeat only strengthens the case. See how this fits alongside our banker of the day selections.
Odds: 2.90
Seven of the last ten H2H meetings have produced two or more goals, both teams score regularly in this fixture, and Levante have conceded in every away match this campaign. A 3-1 home win — our headline prediction — lands this combined selection comfortably. The price offers clear value against the true probability of a high-scoring Celta victory given the visitors' defensive absences and attacking limitations. Our BTTS (GG/NG) page explains the underlying goal trends.
Odds: 1.80
Celta's home matches have averaged well over two goals this season, with Jutglà, Durán, Álvarez and Swedberg all contributing, while Levante's fixtures feature goals at both ends — a 5-2 win over Betis and a 3-3 draw with Sevilla underline their chaotic nature. Even in defeat, Levante tend to create enough to score one, and Celta's high defensive line is far from impregnable. Four goals in a 3-1 home win is exactly the profile this market rewards.
Odds: 1.72
Levante have scored in the majority of their away fixtures this term, and Celta have conceded in six consecutive home matches — a sequence that stretches back well into last season. Brugué's five goals and Musuayi's pace guarantee one genuine threat on the break, while Celta's commitment to attacking football leaves them exposed in transition. In a predicted 3-1 scoreline, this selection cashes with room to spare. Check the GG/NG predictions hub for similar fixtures.
Odds: 11.00
Our model's most probable outcome. Celta's attacking depth and home dominance point to a multi-goal home win, while Levante's habit of scoring a consolation on the road — as they did at Deportivo (1-1) and in the 3-3 with Sevilla — makes a clean sheet unlikely for the hosts. A small-stakes correct score play at double-digit odds is the ideal speculative companion to the safer selections above, and our correct score tips page tracks how these longshots land.
📊 Final Score Prediction
Match Analysis
We predict a 3-1 home victory for Celta Vigo. The foundations of this prediction are structural as much as stylistic: Levante have the worst away defensive record in the division's bottom reaches, have not kept a clean sheet on the road all season, and arrive without the injured Bardeli and Manu Sánchez, further weakening both their build-up and their left-sided defence. Celta, for all their Europa League fatigue, have scored in nearly every home game this season and create enough volume of chances through Durán, Jutglà, Álvarez and Swedberg to expect at least three goals against a side that shipped five to Betis and three to Sevilla in home defeats earlier in the campaign.
The match should follow a familiar script: Celta dominating possession in the first half, pressing Levante's error-prone back line into mistakes, and breaking the deadlock before the interval — Jutglà or Durán are the most likely sources. Levante will threaten intermittently on the counter, and Musuayi's pace against Celta's high line makes one away goal highly probable, most likely in the second half as the hosts commit bodies forward. But Celta's bench — armed with Aspas, Galán, Febas and Driouech — offers far superior game-changing quality, and a late third goal against tired legs would seal a 3-1 scoreline that flatters neither side unduly. Expect Celta to control territory, Levante to survive on scraps, and the class gap to tell by full-time.
Key Insights & Statistics
- Celta Vigo have won twelve of the last twenty league meetings with Levante, losing only five.
- Levante have not won an away league match in 2026/27 and have conceded in every road fixture this season.
- Seven of the last ten H2H encounters have produced over 2.5 goals, and both teams have scored in six of them.
- Celta are unbeaten at home against Levante in most recent Balaídos meetings, though Levante did win 3-2 here in May 2026.
- Ferran Jutglà scored in the 2-1 H2H win in November 2025 and scored Celta's opener in the recent 2-1 victory over Alavés.
- Levante have scored exactly one goal in each of their last two away matches (1-2 at Real Sociedad, 1-1 at Deportivo) — consistent with our 3-1 prediction.
- Roger Brugué has five league goals this season, accounting for a huge share of Levante's attacking output.
- Celta have scored in six consecutive home matches across all competitions, including against Juventus and Celtic in Europe.
- Hugo Sotelo (on loan from Celta) faces his parent club in midfield for Levante — an intriguing subplot in the centre of the pitch.
- Celta sit tenth while Levante are eighteenth — an eight-place gap that the home side's quality should convert into three points, as highlighted in our Celta Vigo vs Alavés preview and Rayo Vallecano vs Celta Vigo preview coverage.
Conclusion
Everything about this fixture points towards a Celta Vigo victory. The hosts are superior in every department, enjoy an outstanding historical record against Levante, and are playing at a venue where the Granotes have struggled for over a decade. Levante's away form is among the worst in LaLiga, their key summer signings are still settling, and injuries to Bardeli and Manu Sánchez strip away what little creativity and defensive stability they possessed. Celta's own absences — Iglesias, Starfelt, M. Román — are significant but covered by the depth of an enlarged 2026/27 squad featuring Cáceres, Faye, Febas, Driouech and Galán.
Our final score prediction of 3-1 reflects both the likely flow of the game and the historical goal trends of this matchup: Celta to score through their talented front three, Levante to grab one consolation through Brugué or Musuayi on the break, and the hosts to pull away late. The betting card — Celta win at 1.75, the value combo at 2.90, over 2.5 goals at 1.80, BTTS at 1.72 and the speculative 11.00 correct score — offers a coherent, model-consistent way to play the match at European decimal odds. For more LaLiga and European coverage throughout the week, bookmark our football predictions for tomorrow page and the bet of the day selection.
Expect Claudio Giráldez's side to control possession from the first whistle, for the Balaídos crowd to grow in voice as the chances mount, and for Celta's class to convert into a convincing three points that keeps their European push on track while deepening Levante's early-season relegation worries. A 3-1 home win is our confident call.
