villarreal – celta vigo is now official at La Cerámica, with both clubs releasing their starting lineups ahead of the match in La Liga EA Sports. Villarreal and Celta Vigo enter the game with clear targets: the hosts want to protect third place, while the visitors are still chasing a stronger push toward the European places.
The match is set for 21: 00 ET in the Estadio de la Cerámica, and both benches have opted for changes that underline the importance of the night. For Villarreal, the starting eleven includes Arnau Tenas; Freeman, Rafa Marín, Renato Veiga and Pedraza; Santi Comesaña, Pape Gueye, Nicolas Pépé, Alberto Moleiro, Georges Mikautadze and Gerard Moreno.
Celta Vigo line up with Andrei Radu in goal, behind Javi Rodríguez, Yoel Lago and Marcos Alonso. In the wider roles are Óscar Mingueza and Sergio Carreira, while Hugo Sotelo and Ilaix Moriba sit in midfield. Up front, Pablo Durán, Hugo Álvarez and Borja Iglesias start.
borja iglesias returns in villarreal – celta vigo
The biggest personnel note for the visitors is Borja Iglesias returning to the starting eleven after being a substitute in the previous match against Barcelona. Hugo Sotelo also comes back into the lineup after several games out of the starting side, giving Celta a different shape in midfield and attack for a match that carries real weight in the standings.
In the buildup, Marcelino García Toral described Celta as a difficult opponent away from home, pointing to their results and the way they defend and move the ball. He said the Galician side has won seven away matches and lost only three on the road, calling them the third-best visiting team and stressing their discipline, balance and vertical play. His message was clear: this is not a loose end-of-season fixture, but a high-demand test for Villarreal.
Celta Vigo wants points, not just good feelings
Claudio Giráldez framed the night in similar terms, saying Villarreal are having one of the best seasons in their history and remain very stable. He also said Celta have competed well against them in the past, while warning that the team must manage the minutes of Iago Aspas carefully because he cannot play 90 minutes right now.
The coaching staff at Celta have also been forced to deal with late absences. Williot Swedberg and Matías Vecino are out, while Hugo González and Andrés Antañón have been added to the squad to cover the gaps. That leaves the visitors with a narrower margin, but also with a starting side built to compete immediately.
What the night can decide
For Villarreal, the equation is direct: a win would bring them closer to securing third place and strengthening their Champions League push. For Celta Vigo, the task is just as urgent, because the team needs to turn recent sensations into points and keep its European chase alive.
The context is sharp on both sides, and the confirmed lineups show that neither coach is treating this like a routine night. With villarreal – celta vigo now set and Borja Iglesias back in from the start, the match carries pressure, opportunity and little room for error.
