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LaLiga: Celta Vigo vs Athletic Bilbao Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction

Date: January 19, 2025 Kickoff Time: 14:00 Local Time (08:00 ET / 05:00 PT) Venue: Estadio Abanca-Balaidos Athletic Bilbao beat Celta Vigo 3-1 the last time these teams played each other. They go again on Sunday, 19 January 2025. Will Athletic Bilbao score back-to-back victories against the home team? This is a new match and anything can happen. LaLiga betting fans are placing their bets, hoping to win big with their passion for football betting! For a detailed look at the match, read our preview now!

Josh Isaacson
Josh Isaacson

Last Updated: 2025-01-17

Chad Nagel

6 minutes read

Juanlu Sanchez of Sevilla, Nico Williams of Athletic de Bilbao

Juanlu Sanchez and Nico Williams//Getty Images

As of the 12th of January 2025, Celta Vigo sit in 12th position on the LaLiga table with 24 points from 19 matches played which includes seven wins, three draws and nine defeats. Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao are challenging for the title. They currently occupy 4th place on the table with 36 points from 19 matches played which includes ten wins, six draws and three losses. 

A player is offside when they’re in the opponents’ half and any part of their head, body or legs is closer to the opponents’ goal line than both the ball and the second-last opponent. 

Both teams head into this match knowing that past results count for nothing on the day. Every team is only as good as their last performance and every football match offers a unique storyline. No two football games are identical in terms of the stats. This is what makes betting such a fascinating passion. 

PRE-GAME ODDS AND WIN PROBABILITY: CLOSE CONTEST EXPECTED 

  1. Home: 17/10 (2.70) - 37%

  2. Draw: 43/20 (3.15) - 31,7%

  3. Away: 9/5 (2.80) - 35,7%

  4. *Odds courtesy of Betway, subject to change. 

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD

Last Five Meetings (LaLiga)

  1. 22/09/24: Athletic Bilbao 3-1 Celta Vigo

  2. 15/05/24: Celta Vigo 2-1 Athletic Bilbao

  3. 10/11/23: Athletic Bilbao 4-3 Celta Vigo

  4. 20/05/23: Athletic Bilbao 2-1 Celta Vigo

  5. 29/01/23: Celta Vigo 1-0 Athletic Bilbao 

CELTA VIGO: CURRENT FORM - LWWLW 

Celta Vigo have won three out of their last five matches. Os Celestes lost 2-1 against Rayo Vallecano on 10 January. Before this game, they beat Racing Santander 3-2. Prior to this match, they defeated Real Sociedad, lost 1-0 to Sevilla and they also beat Mallorca. There have been fine margins in the games that Celta Vigo has lost. If they can improve their game even by a small margin of ten percent - this could make a big difference in the results department. 

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH 

The SportsBoom selection panel has chosen these three players from Celta Vigo to watch in this match. 

  • Borja Iglesias: The Spanish forward has an aggressive playing style. He gets in the face of defenders and protects the ball well. 
  • Jonathan Bamba: The Ivory Coast forward is good at creating attacking opportunities for his team by changing the direction of play. Jonathan Bamba is a good dribbler. He also passes accurately. 
  • Fran Beltran: The Spanish midfielder is the type of player that values the following traditional football skills: make your tackles, pass accurately, keep hold of possession and test the goalkeeper. 

CELTA VIGO TEAM NEWS 

Celta Vigo forward Iago Aspas tore a muscle in his left leg. Aspas will be missed in this game. His absence is a hammer blow to Celta Vigo’s chances of winning this match. Javi Manquillo is recovering from an ankle injury. Jailson, Mihailo Ristic and Joseph Aidoo are doubts. Borja Iglesias looks set to start this match against Athletic Bilbao. 

ATHLETIC BILBAO: CURRENT FORM - LWWDW

Athletic Bilbao have won three out of their last five matches. They have also lost one of these games and played out to one draw. The eight time LaLiga champions were beaten 2-0 by Barcelona on 8 January. Before this match, they defeated UD Logrones on penalty kicks in a Spanish Copa del Rey game. Prior to this match, they beat Osasuna, and played out to a 1-1 draw with Alaves. They also got bragging rights over Fenerbahce with a 2-0 victory.  

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

  • Nico Williams: The Spanish forward’s playing style is characterised by good dribbling technique, key passes and strong ball control. Nico Williams enjoys taking advice from his teammates. He also likes to help his teammates improve their game. If the opposition makes an error, it’s goal time for Nico Williams.
  • Alex Berenguer: The Spanish forward enjoys the beautiful game. You can see that he has a natural instinct to run with the ball at his feet and test the goalkeeper. Commitment for the team can’t be coached and Alex Berenguer has this in abundance. 
  • Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta: The midfielder is another great football player made in Spain. He applies pressure on the opposition by chasing them all over the field and will pounce on any mistake. 

ATHLETIC BILBAO TEAM NEWS

Athletic Bilbao have a fully fit squad to choose from for this game against Celta Vigo. The attacking trio of Inaki Williams and Nico Williams are expected to start this game. 

PREDICTED LINE-UPS

  1. Celta Vigo: 4-2-3-1

    Guaita, Alonso, Dominguez, Starfelt, Mingueza, Beltran, Moriba, Cervi, Bamba, Gonzalez, Iglesias.

  2. Athletic Bilbao: 4-2-3-1

    Simon, Paredes, Vivian, Berchiche, Gorosabel, De Galarreta, Jauregizar, I. Williams, N. Williams, Sancet, Berenguer. 

SUGGESTED BETS

Score big with SportsBoom’s suggested bets. We’ve selected three bets for you to wager with at top football sportsbooks.

  1. Both Teams to Score: Celta Vigo and Athletic Bilbao have both scored goals in four out of the last five matches played against each other. (19/20 with Betway) (19/20 with BC.Game) (47/50 with N1Bet)

  2. Over 2.5 Goals: There have been over 2.5 goals scored in four out of the last five games played between these teams. (32/25 with Betway) (5/4 with BC.Game) (32/25 with N1Bet)

  3. Winning Margin - Athletic Bilbao By 1: Celta Vigo vs Athletic Bilbao is usually a closely contested fixture according to past results. Only one goal has separated the two teams in four out of the last five fixtures. Be bold and make your move with this bet. (33/10 with Betway) (33/10 with BC.Game) (33/10 with N1Bet) 

VALUE BETS

  1. Oihan Sancet - Anytime Goalscorer: The Spanish midfielder has banged in seven goals for Athletic Bilbao throughout the season. He will look to make darting runs and beat the offside trap in this match against Celta Vigo. 

  2. Inaki Williams - Anytime Goalscorer: The Ghanaian forward can accelerate and create an advantage in numbers for his team. The Athletic Bilbao star player can also trouble the defenders with his physicality. Inaki Williams has earned the right to be backed as an anytime goalscorer in this match. 

  3. Borja Iglesias - Anytime Goalscorer: The Spanish forward has smashed in five goals for Celta Vigo throughout the season. We think that he deserves to be backed as an anytime goalscorer in this match. 

PREDICTION: ATHLETIC BILBAO TO WIN 

Results are what matter in the Spanish LaLiga. Any win will do for Celta Vigo or Athletic Bilbao and none of these teams will mind if they win 1-0, 3-2 or if they score an injury time winner, they just want the three points. We think that Athletic Bilbao might just grind their way to a hard-fought victory. 

Josh Isaacson
Josh IsaacsonSports Writer

Josh has over ten years of experience as a Sports Writer. Josh has created content for some of the biggest sports brands and publications in South Africa. Josh is a creative writer who puts you in the game with his unique content. Josh writes about Soccer, Rugby, Cricket, Basketball, Darts, Golf, and all major sports.

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