Celta Vigo vs Racing de Santander Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview

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Celta Vigo

vs

Racing de Santander

KickoffSaturday 19 September 2026, 5:30pm

VenueEstadio Abanca-Balaídos

CompetitionSpanish La Liga

Celta Vigo are a club that should not be looking over their shoulder in mid-September, but here we are. Six games in and Claudio Giraldez’s side are still waiting for their first win of the season, sitting 16th in La Liga with four points from four draws and two defeats. For a team that finished sixth last term, that is a worrying return. Racing de Santander, on the other hand, have rolled back into the top flight after more than a decade away and are genuinely making a go of it. Yes, they shipped seven against Barcelona last weekend, but before that they had been one of the more watchable newly promoted sides in the division.

This is a fascinating fixture on paper. A home side desperate for their first three points of the campaign hosting a promoted outfit that has outscored and, in terms of league position, outperformed them so far this season. There is pressure building on Balaidos, and Racing will not be arriving to make up the numbers.

Celta Vigo vs Racing de Santander Match Details

This La Liga fixture takes place at Estadio de Balaidos in Vigo, Galicia, one of the more atmospheric grounds in Spanish football and a place where Celta have traditionally made life difficult for visiting sides. Racing de Santander make the trip south as the reigning Segunda Division champions, back in the top flight for the first time since the 2011-12 season and looking to prove their promotion was no fluke.

Team News

Celta are without a couple of notable names but are broadly in decent shape for this one. Giraldez will also be rotating after the Europa League midweek, so expect a few fresh faces from the off.

• Iago Aspas is out through injury, a big absence given how much Celta rely on him as a focal point
• Andres Antanon is also sidelined
• Williot Swedberg, Aleix Febas and Hugo Gonzalez are all expected to come into the starting eleven
• Ferran Jutgla keeps his place after scoring against Malaga last weekend

For Racing, Jose Alberto has his own selection headaches but does welcome back one key player from suspension.

• Andres Martin misses out through injury
• Simon Eriksson and Pedro Felipe are both doubts heading into this one
• Andre Almeida returns to the squad having served his suspension
• Inigo Vicente, Yassir Zabiri and Jorge Salinas are expected to return to the starting lineup after the heavy Barcelona defeat

Predicted Lineups

Giraldez looks set to shake things up significantly after the Europa League outing, with Febas and Gonzalez brought in to freshen the midfield and attack. Jutgla should lead the line with Swedberg alongside him, giving Celta some directness and pace in the final third. The back four looks relatively settled even if the side ahead of it has been anything but consistent.

Racing will want to restore some pride after the Barcelona hammering and Alberto is expected to ring the changes. Zabiri leads the line with Vicente and Garcia offering creativity around him, while Canales brings genuine top-flight quality in the middle of the park. This is a side with structure and quality despite their league position.

• Celta Vigo: Radu; Alonso, Lago, Caceres; Rueda, Febas, Moriba, Galan; Gonzalez, Jutgla, Swedberg
• Racing de Santander: Agirrezabala; Mantilla, Belocian, Ramon, Salinas; Prati, Martin; Garcia, Canales, Vicente; Zabiri

Recent Form

Celta’s form makes for grim reading if you are a Sky Blues supporter. Seven games across all competitions this season and not a single win to show for it. Four league draws and two defeats, plus that 1-0 loss to Omonia in Europe during the week. The 1-1 draw with Malaga the previous weekend at least showed they can score and compete, but draws are no longer enough. There is genuine anxiety around Balaidos about what direction this squad is heading, especially given the quality they showed to finish sixth last season.

Racing’s numbers look a bit raw at first glance. Eleven goals scored, sixteen conceded in La Liga. But strip out the seven they shipped at Camp Nou and suddenly that defensive record looks far more respectable. Two wins, a draw and three defeats across their six league games is a solid foundation for a promoted side. Jose Alberto has them playing with a genuine attacking intent, and before the Barcelona aberration they were giving a good account of themselves in the top flight. The key question is whether the confidence has taken a hit after that thrashing.

What stands out is that Racing have actually won two of their last four league games. That is better form than Celta, who have won zero of their last six in all competitions. The momentum in this fixture belongs to the visitors, however counterintuitive that might feel given their midweek result.

Head-to-Head Record

This is a fixture with real history behind it, and perhaps surprisingly it is Racing who hold the edge in the all-time head-to-head. Of their 71 previous meetings, Racing have come out on top 30 times compared to Celta’s 24 wins. That is a meaningful difference and a reminder that Racing, despite their years away from the top flight, know how to handle this fixture.

With Racing back in La Liga for the first time in over a decade, there will be a novelty factor to this renewed rivalry. Celta will be looking to use home advantage at Balaidos to assert themselves, but history suggests Racing are no pushovers in this matchup and have every right to fancy themselves for something.

Key Stats

• Celta are still winless after seven matches across all competitions this season, their worst start in recent memory
• Racing have scored 11 La Liga goals in six games, making them one of the more prolific attacks in the division despite their league position
• Racing hold a 30-24 advantage over Celta in the all-time head-to-head across 71 meetings

Celta Vigo vs Racing de Santander Betting Tips

This is a game where the obvious narrative points you toward Celta grinding out a win at home and ending their wait for three points, but the underlying numbers tell a more cautious story. Racing have goals in them, Celta have not been keeping clean sheets, and a home side this short of confidence could easily find themselves in a scrap. My angle here is on a competitive, goal-friendly game rather than a comfortable home win.

Corners Prediction

Celta will be pushing hard for a winner if this game stays tight, and Racing have shown they are happy to get forward and put balls into the box. With both sides likely to attack with some urgency at different points, over 9.5 corners looks a reasonable call for a fixture where neither team will be happy to sit back for long stretches.

Both Teams To Score (BTTS) Prediction

Racing have found the net in each of their La Liga outings this season and Celta, for all their struggles, have been contributing to scoring games with draws being a recurring theme. BTTS yes is the play here, with both attacks capable of finding a way through and neither defence looking particularly watertight right now.

First Goalscorer Prediction

Ferran Jutgla keeps his spot up front for Celta and has already opened his account this season with that goal against Malaga. At 27 he is in the prime of his career, he plays centrally where he can get shots away, and he will be motivated to deliver on home soil when the pressure is on. He is the most likely Celta player to break the deadlock.

Correct Score Prediction

With Celta still searching for form and Racing confident enough to cause problems on the road, a 1-1 draw feels like the most logical outcome. Celta have the ability to get themselves in front at Balaidos but Racing have the attacking quality to respond, and that pattern of the home side failing to hold a lead has been a theme throughout their early season.

Bet Builder Tip

Jutgla getting on the scoresheet in an open, end-to-end game where both teams find the net and plenty of set piece situations arise is a combination that fits the profile of this fixture neatly.

Final Match Prediction

Celta need this win more than almost any result in recent memory, but wanting it and getting it are two very different things. They have drawn four of their six league games already, which tells you this is a squad that is getting into positions to win matches and then failing to deliver the decisive moments. Racing arrive here battered after Barcelona but with enough quality in their ranks, particularly in the shape of Canales in midfield, to cause real problems for a Celta side still finding their feet.

The smart money is on another draw at Balaidos. Racing have the head-to-head numbers, the scoring record and the mentality of a promoted side with nothing to fear. Celta have the home crowd on their side and the desperation that can sometimes unlock a performance, but I think they fall just short again. Celta Vigo 1-1 Racing de Santander.

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