Real Madrid finally return to the Bernabéu after more than a month away, the long break caused by hosting an NFL game that required a full replacement of the pitch. Six consecutive away matches followed for Xabi Alonso’s team - four in La Liga and two in the Champions League - and during this stretch Los Blancos dropped valuable points. The five-point lead after El Clásico evaporated and turned into a one-point deficit behind Barcelona. The win over Athletic Bilbao eased some of the pressure surrounding Alonso, but Real now need to stabilise quickly in front of their home supporters and on a brand-new pitch.
Celta thrive away from home Celta arrive in Madrid in excellent away form, having won their last three league visits - their only victories in La Liga this season, but all achieved away from Vigo. Their style is perfectly suited for trips like this: fast transitions, sharp counterattacks and impressive efficiency in front of goal. The team ranks among the top six in La Liga for conversion rate, and players such as Óscar Mingueza and Borja Iglesias are highly dangerous when given space to attack at speed. This is the kind of dynamic that can trouble Real Madrid, especially given Alonso’s defensive issues. With Trent Alexander-Arnold out long-term, Carvajal still recovering and both Alaba and Mendy unavailable, Real lack a natural right-back and must improvise once again.
Despite these concerns, Real Madrid’s attacking potential - especially at home - remains enormous, and the expectation is that they will find a way to prevail. However, with Celta’s counterattacking strength and Real’s defensive absences, the match is unlikely to be straightforward.
Prediction: Over 2.5 goals
Both teams are expected to find spaces: Real Madrid because of their attacking superiority, and Celta because of their speed in transition against a patched-up defence. This points strongly toward another high-scoring match at the Bernabéu.
