- Celta de Vigo have won 3 of their last 5 games in all competitions, but have failed to win any of their last 8 home LaLiga matches (D5, L3).
- Athletic Bilbao won the reverse fixture 2-1 away in LaLiga 2024/2025 and have a mixed away record in LaLiga this season (W2, D1, L4).
- Both clubs have been conceding too many goals - Celta 12 in 8 home league games and Athletic 11 in 7 away - so both teams to score seems a likely result.
Celta and Athletic are both at the top of their game
Celta de Vigo have the wind in their sails at the moment with 3 wins in their last 5 and an incredible 2-0 away win over Real Madrid in the latest round of LaLiga 2025/2026. Claudio Giráldez’s side are patient, possession-based footballers that rotate in a fluid system and overload advanced areas with the ball. According to the latest Celta de Vigo vs Athletic Bilbao prediction, both teams are expected to rely heavily on their tactical discipline and attacking flair.
Celta have been a possession-first club since March 2024, and the fresh ideas he brought with him have recently borne fruit. The Galicians have found a new attacking spark in the form of Williot Swedberg, who has 2 goals in Celta’s last 5, while Bryan Zaragoza, who has 3 assists in the same span, has been the creative engine.
Ahead of the line is Borja Iglesias, who has 5 LaLiga goals in 15 appearances this season. Athletic Bilbao are a more direct unit who are best when playing a compact, disciplined shape that can spring forward in numbers on the break.
Tight game predicted, but visitors have a slight edge
Ernesto Valverde’s side showed all those qualities in their 1-0 home win over Atletico Madrid in the previous round of fixtures in LaLiga 2025/2026, bouncing back from their 0-3 mauling by Real Madrid prior to that.
Valverde’s pragmatic approach has served them well since he took the reins in July 2022, but the fact remains that Athletic have conceded 11 goals in 7 road games this season. Their away form is mixed, with 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss in their last 3 on the road, so the odds on the visitors at 2.95 are not out of place in this one.
But Celta are also on a high after their recent performances and have the home advantage, so it may be too close to call with 2.68 on the hosts and 3.29 on the draw. This Celta de Vigo vs Athletic Bilbao preview highlights just how evenly matched these teams are, with form and head-to-head results pointing in different directions. We’re going for the slight edge the visitors appear to have in the matchup and head-to-head record (Athletic Bilbao have won 2 of the last 3 encounters with no draws), which makes the Celta de Vigo vs Athletic Bilbao betting tips particularly interesting for punters seeking value.
Swedberg is making waves in the top flight
However, Celta have improved so much since the last time these two sides met that a draw could be more likely, with the hosts able to give the home crowd something to cheer with a win. The Celta de Vigo vs Athletic Bilbao prediction suggests that this could be an open contest, as Both Teams to Score is priced at 1.83, so the bookmakers are expecting an open contest, which could well be the case as both clubs have been leaking goals.
The average number of goals scored by Celta and Athletic Bilbao in the five league meetings between the two teams at Balaídos is 1.5 per side, so we’re taking the slight over at 3-2 to the away side as our correct score prediction. Fans and experts alike will be waiting for the final Celta de Vigo vs Athletic Bilbao prediction to see which team will gain the upper hand in this fascinating matchup.
Nico Williams is the most prolific scorer in Athletic Bilbao’s team in the LaLiga 2025/2026, but he’s not exactly prolific with only 3 goals in 12 games.
