Real Sociedad Vs Celta Vigo Prediction: Competition For European Tickets At Reale Arena

JAKARTA Real Sociedad will host Celta Vigo in the 36th La Liga match which will take place on Tuesday night local time at the Reale Arena Stadium. This match is very crucial for both teams competing for tickets to European competitions next season, especially the Europa League and Conference League.

Celta is currently seventh in the La Liga standings with 49 points from 14 wins, 7 draws, and 14 defeats. This position places them in the Europa League zone, although the difference of two points from Rayo Vallecano in eighth place still makes the competition very open.

Meanwhile, Real Sociedad had to settle for 12th place after undergoing a difficult period without a win in the last five games, including a 4-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid last weekend.

Although opportunities for Europe have not been completely closed, Imanol Alguacil's squad is now four points adrift of the Conference League zone and six points from Celta. Therefore, victory over Celta Vigo is a fixed price for the Basque team if they want to keep their hopes of appearing on the continental stage next season.

This season is definitely not the best for Real Sociedad. They have only collected 12 wins from 35 matches and only scored 32 goals which are relatively minimal for teams that usually appear competitive. The departure of coach Imanol Alguacil who will leave the club at the end of the season and the issue of the departure of flagship midfielder Martin Zubimendi to Arsenal adds to the burden and uncertainty within the team ahead of the summer transfer market.

On the other hand, Celta Vigo is enjoying a fairly stable season under Claudio Giraldez. They performed impressively at home, collecting 36 points from 18 matches at the sixth best home record in La Liga this season. A dramatic 3-2 win over Sevilla last week was proof of their consistency in public itself, as well as an important moral push ahead of the duel against Real Sociedad.

However, Celta still has to face injury constraints. Central defender Carl Starfelt and midfielder Jailson are confirmed to be out of action, but this is predicted not to interfere too much with the team's balance. The Borja Iglesias striker who scored as a substitute against Sevilla is expected to start again. In addition, Fran Beltran had the chance to come down from the early minutes after showing a promising performance when he entered the second half in the previous match.

Meanwhile, from the Real Sociedad camp, the absence of Arsen Zakharyan due to a thigh injury is still in the spotlight. Two other players, Sheraldo Becker and Orri Oskarsson, are also in doubt. Mikel Oyarzabal who was pulled out at halftime against Atletico is believed to remain the first choice, as there are no reports of serious injuries. Some rotations are predicted to occur, including the entry of Hamari Traore, Brais Mendez, and Sergio Gomez into the starting XI.

The two teams last met in the first half of the season, where Celta Vigo managed to steal three points with a 2-0 win over Real Sociedad. Last season, their meeting in the same place ended in a 1-1 draw. With the background of a balanced meeting history and great motivation from each team, this match is believed to be tight and full of prestige.

For Celta, victory will strengthen their position in the Europa League zone. As for Real Sociedad, positive results can open up the last hope for the European stage. High pressure and ambition will certainly color the 90 minutes of the duel at the Reale Arena.

Real Sociedad (4-2-3-1): Remiro; Traore, Martin, Elustondo, J. Lopez; Mendez, Zubimendi; Kubo, Gomez, Martin; Oyarzabal

Celta Vigo (4-2-3-1):Guaita; Mingueza, Lago, Dominguez, J. Rodriguez; Moriba, Beltran; Swiedberg, Duran, Aspas; Iglesias