Real Sociedad vs Celta Vigo Preview: Team News, Lineups and Prediction

Spanish La Liga  -  Real Sociedad VS Celta Vigo
Match Time:04-09-2026 03:00 Friday (GMT+8)
Football Livescore | Match Prediction & Tips
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Real Sociedad will look to build on their first win of the 2026-27 La Liga season when they host Celta Vigo at the Reale Arena on Thursday.

The visitors are still searching for their first victory after collecting just one point from their opening three league matches.

Team Analysis

Real Sociedad have made an inconsistent start to the campaign, losing their opening two league matches before finally getting off the mark with a 2-1 victory over Espanyol. That win should provide a confidence boost ahead of their first home meeting with Celta this season.

The home side also have a strong recent record against Celta Vigo, remaining unbeaten in their last eight meetings, including six victories. Their most recent encounter ended in a 3-1 win for Real Sociedad, with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring twice.

Real Sociedad have also shown good form at home under Pellegrino Matarazzo, who has recorded six wins, four draws and only two defeats in his first 12 home league matches in charge.

Celta Vigo, meanwhile, have struggled to reproduce the form that helped them secure European football last season. They opened the campaign with a goalless draw against Valencia before losing to Osasuna and Athletic Club.

Their attacking numbers are particularly concerning. Celta have scored only once in their first three league games and managed just seven shots on target during that period. They currently sit near the bottom of the table and need a significant improvement in the final third.

Player Situation
Real Sociedad remain without long-term absentee Alvaro Odriozola, while Pablo Marin is also expected to miss the match because of a hamstring problem. Takefusa Kubo and Yangel Herrera could return to the starting lineup as Matarazzo considers rotating his squad. New signing Hector Fort is also expected to be part of the matchday squad.

Mikel Oyarzabal and Orri Oskarsson are likely to lead the attack after both scored in the recent victory over Espanyol, while Kubo remains an important source of creativity from the wide areas.

For Celta Vigo, Borja Iglesias continues to recover from a muscle injury and remains unavailable. Marcos Alonso, however, returns after serving a one-match suspension. Aleix Febas is also unavailable after suffering a rib injury, with Miguel Román expected to provide an alternative in midfield.

Iago Aspas remains one of Celta's key attacking figures, although the visitors will need greater support around their experienced forward if they are to threaten a Real Sociedad defence that should have home advantage.

Result Prediction
Real Sociedad appear to have the stronger overall profile heading into this fixture. They have already secured their first win of the season, have an excellent recent head-to-head record against Celta Vigo and have generally performed well at home under Matarazzo.

Celta's slow start is harder to ignore, particularly their lack of goals and limited number of shots on target. They could make the game competitive, but Real Sociedad's greater attacking quality and home advantage should give them the edge.

Prediction: Real Sociedad 2-1 Celta Vigo