Campos de Sport de El Sardinero will play host to an intriguing clash in the Copa del Rey on Sunday afternoon, as Segunda Division outfit Racing de Santander welcome La Liga team Celta Vigo.
Racing are currently third in Spain's second tier, with the team pushing for a return to the top flight, while Celta sit 11th in La Liga, and the visitors have been victorious in three of their last four matches in all competitions.
Match preview
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Racing have been absent from La Liga since the 2011-12 campaign, spending time in the third tier since then, but they are now challenging for a return to Spain's top flight for the 2025-26 campaign.
Indeed, the Green and Whites are currently third in the Segunda Division table, picking up 38 points from their opening 21 matches of the campaign, which has left them just one point behind leaders Almeria.
Jose Alberto Lopez's side are actually without a victory in their last four league matches, with their last success coming in the previous round of the Copa del Rey, beating Sporting Gijon 1-0 on home soil at the start of December.
Racing have not actually been past the last-32 stage of the Copa del Rey since making the quarter-finals in 2013-14, but they will fancy their chances of making this a difficult assignment for their top-flight opponents.
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Celta, meanwhile, entered the winter break in Spain off the back of an impressive 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad, with the result moving them into 11th spot in the La Liga table, boasting 24 points from their opening 18 matches.
The Sky Blues are only one point behind seventh-placed Real Sociedad and have been an excellent watch this season, scoring 27 times in Spain's top flight and conceding 28.
Claudio Giraldez's side have already scored 12 times in the Copa del Rey this season, beating UD San Pedro 5-1 in the first round before recording a 7-0 victory over Salamanca UDS in the second round at the start of December.
Celta have never won the Copa del Rey, but they have been the runners-up on three previous occasions, including in 2000-01, losing 3-1 to Real Zaragoza in the final of the competition at Estadio de La Cartuja.
The Sky Blues have actually won their last six matches in the Copa del Rey, while they have been present in the semi-finals twice and the quarter-finals once in the last nine seasons.
Team News
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Racing head coach Lopez could name the same side that took to the field for the first whistle against Sporting Gijon in the second round of the competition at the start of last month.
Junior Lake has only scored once in 15 appearances this season, but there is expected to be a spot in the final third of the field for the 34-year-old, while Suleiman Camara is also likely to start for the second-tier outfit.
As for Celta, Javi Manquillo will miss out with an ankle problem, while Joseph Aidoo, Jailson and Mihailo Ristic are doubts.
Jonathan Bamba and Hugo Sotelo were both absent against Real Sociedad last time out through injury, but the pair are expected to be cleared to feature in the Copa del Rey fixture.
Head coach Giraldez will ring the changes from the team's last match, with Franco Cervi, Ivan Villar and Williot Swedberg among those set to start, but defensive absentees mean that the likes of Javi Rodriguez and Carl Starfelt are likely to be in the starting side.
Alfon Gonzalez and Tasos Douvikas could feature as the front two, with Iago Aspas and Borja Iglesias likely to be kept in reserve.
Racing de Santander possible starting lineup:
Parera; Sangalli, Mantilla, Salinas, S Garcia; Arevalo, Gueye; Camara, Zenitagoia, Rodriguez; Junior
Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:
Villar; J Rodriguez, Starfelt, Dominguez, Alonso, Swedberg; Cervi, Sotelo, Beltran; Gonzalez, Douvikas
We say: Racing de Santander 1-2 Celta Vigo
This is a fascinating match, as Racing have had a strong campaign in the Segunda Division, and there is no question that the hosts have the tools to harm Celta on Sunday. That said, the Sky Blues will be able to call upon the greater quality, and we are expecting the visitors to navigate their way into the round of 16 this weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
