Celta de Vigo face Valencia after postponed opener.

Celta Vigo, who finished three places above Valencia last term, saw their initial LaLiga opener against Osasuna postponed because of a fungus outbreak on the field of their stadium. With the initial opening match now rescheduled for Thursday, August 27, they regroup with the belief that they can reverse the 3-2 defeat last suffered when they faced the home side last term. Their average of 1.5 points per away match compares favorably with Valencia's 1.4 at home, while 11 victories from the previous 31 meetings demonstrate that they have regularly been capable of overcoming their hosts. There has also been a strong tendency for both sides to contribute. Both teams have scored in 74% of the previous meetings, meaning almost three-quarters of their recent head-to-head encounters have featured goals at both ends. A 4—2—3—1 formation with Ferran Jutglà in attack is expected against the Bats. Matías Vecino is the club’s only injury concern ahead of Saturday’s opener.

Valencia vs. Celta de Vigo kicks off at 18:30 [GMT+1] on Saturday, August 22, at the Mestalla. Valencia will begin their 2026/27 La Liga campaign with this weekend’s game against Celta Vigo. The home side, who finished in 9th place last season, will be looking to get off to a flying start when they face the Sky Blues. Fortunately, they hold the advantage across the previous 31 meetings between the clubs, recording 14 victories compared with 11 for Celta, while six encounters have ended level. That gives Valencia a 45% win rate in the fixture, although the relatively small difference between the teams demonstrates how competitive these meetings have been. The previous encounter provided another example, producing five goals as Valencia recorded a 3-2 victory. That result gives the hosts encouragement as they return to Mestalla, although their broader home form is rated as average rather than dominant. Valencia have averaged 1.4 points per home match in recent games. While that represents a respectable return, Celta have actually been slightly more productive on their travels, averaging 1.5 points per away game. That narrow difference suggests home advantage alone may not be enough to separate the teams when both sides clash on Saturday. In addition, goals have been a notable feature of this fixture. The previous 31 meetings have averaged 2.94 goals per match, putting the historical average close to three goals per game. A 3—5—2 formation with Hugo Duro and Ryunosuke Sato in attack is expected against the visitors. As many as four players, including Diego López and Alberto Marí, are ruled out of this fixture.