Two teams that have struggled during the opening months of the 2023-24 La Liga campaign will lock horns on Monday evening, with Celta Vigo welcoming Cadiz to the Estadio Municipal de Balaidos.
The home side are currently 18th in the table, boasting just eight points from their opening 14 matches, while Cadiz are 16th, collecting 11 points from their first 14 games of the season.
Match preview
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Celta have finished eighth, 11th and 13th in their last three La Liga campaigns, but they are currently inside the relegation zone, with a difficult season to date seeing them pick up just eight points.
The Sky Blues have won one, drawn five and lost eight of their 14 league games this term, with their only La Liga success of the 2023-24 season coming away to basement side Almeria at the start of September.
Since then, Rafael Benitez's side have lost six and drawn four of their 10 matches, and they will enter this game off the back of a goalless draw with Valencia last weekend.
Celta have shown slight improvement in recent weeks, sharing the points with Sevilla and Valencia in two of their last three games, while they lost 4-3 to Athletic Bilbao before the international break, but their form is a concern at this stage of the campaign.
The Sky Blues, who have not played outside of Spain's top flight since the 2011-12 campaign, recorded a 3-0 victory over Cadiz when the two teams locked horns for the corresponding match last term.
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Cadiz, meanwhile, will enter this match off the back of a 1-1 draw with Mallorca; Ruben Alcaraz sent the Yellow Submarine ahead in the 12th minute, before Abdon Prats levelled for the home side shortly before the break.
Sergio Gonzalez's side have also found it difficult this season, boasting a record of two wins, five draws and seven defeats from their 14 matches, which has left them in 16th spot in the table on 11 points.
Cadiz are only three points ahead of 18th-placed Celta, while they are the lowest goalscorers in La Liga this season, finding the back of the net on just 11 occasions.
The Yellow Submarine have actually only conceded 21 times, which is far from a disastrous record, but their issues in the final third of the field have cost them so far this season.
Cadiz's two league wins this season - against Alaves and Villarreal - came in the early weeks of the campaign, with the team without a victory in their last 10 matches in Spain's top flight, with that run including a 3-0 defeat at home to Real Madrid last weekend.
Team News
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Celta will again be without the services of Joseph Aidoo due to a serious knee injury, but the home side are otherwise in excellent shape heading into this contest.
Head coach Benitez would have been able to take positives from the goalless draw with Valencia last time out, and it would not be a surprise to see the same XI take to the field for this match.
Jorgen Strand Larsen is the team's leading goalscorer in the league this season with four, and the 23-year-old will again feature in the final third of the field alongside Iago Aspas.
As for Cadiz, Gonzalo Escalante, Romingue Kouame, Luis Hernandez and Fede San Emeterio are definitely out of Monday's match with injury problems.
Robert Navarro is also a major doubt with a muscular issue, but Iza Carcelen is expected to overcome a muscular problem of his own to feature at right-back.
Darwin Machis is set to continue in a wide area, meaning that Ruben Sobrino and Chris Ramos might have to accept spots on the bench once again, with Maxi Gomez set to feature at centre-forward.
Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:
Guaita; Vazquez, Starfelt, U Nunez, Sanchez; Mingueza, Beltran, De la Torre, Bamba; Aspas, Larsen
Cadiz possible starting lineup:
Gil; Carcelen, Fali, Mbaye, J Hernandez; Alejo, A Fernandez, Alcaraz, Machis; Gomez, Roger
We say: Celta Vigo 1-1 Cadiz
Both of these sides have struggled for wins this season, so we are finding it difficult to back either to triumph with any real confidence. Two of their last five meetings in La Liga have finished level, and we are expecting the points to be shared in Monday's clash at Estadio Municipal de Balaidos.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Matt Law
