Celta Vigo welcome Osasuna to Abanca Balaídos on Thursday evening for their rescheduled opening fixture of the 2026/27 La Liga season.
The game was originally due to take place on August 16 but was postponed because of problems with the playing surface at Balaídos. It has now been rearranged for August 27 at 20:30 local time (18:30 UTC).
Both teams have already played once in La Liga and both started with a 0-0 draw. Celta picked up a point away to Valencia, while Osasuna were held by Levante.
That makes Thursday’s meeting particularly interesting. Neither side has scored a league goal yet, but Celta’s home advantage and Osasuna’s short recovery period could make a difference.
Here is our Celta Vigo vs Osasuna prediction, including recent form, team news, predicted lineups and our main picks.
Celta Vigo vs Osasuna Match Info
- Match: Celta Vigo vs Osasuna
- Competition: La Liga
- Round: 1 – Rescheduled fixture
- Date: Thursday, August 27, 2026
- Kick-off: 18:30 UTC / 20:30 local time
- Venue: Abanca Balaídos
- City: Vigo, Spain
This will be Celta’s first home league match of the new season.
Why Was Celta Vigo vs Osasuna Postponed?
There is an unusual story behind this fixture.
Celta and Osasuna were originally scheduled to meet on August 16. However, a disease affected the grass at Balaídos and the pitch was considered unsuitable for the match.
Weather conditions had also complicated the recovery of the playing surface, leading to the decision to postpone the game.
The fixture was subsequently moved to Thursday, August 27.
Now attention can finally return to the football.
Celta Vigo Recent Form
Celta have been difficult to beat in recent weeks.
Their preparation for the season included encouraging performances, and they followed that by earning a point away to Valencia.
Celta Vigo Recent Results
Valencia 0-0 Celta Vigo
Napoli 1-1 Celta Vigo
Sassuolo 1-4 Celta Vigo
Celta Vigo 1-0 Sporting Gijón
Braga 2-2 Celta Vigo
That gives Celta two wins and three draws across those five matches.
The 0-0 against Valencia was not their most exciting performance, but avoiding defeat away from home was a respectable way to start the league campaign.
The bigger question is whether Celta can now turn possession and attacking pressure into goals at Balaídos.
Osasuna Recent Form
Osasuna also started their league season with a goalless draw.
Their recent results show a team capable of competing away from home, although consistency remains an issue.
Osasuna Recent Results
Osasuna 0-0 Levante
Napoli 2-1 Osasuna
Norwich 1-2 Osasuna
Ipswich 1-2 Osasuna
Osasuna 2-0 Racing Santander
There are positives here.
Osasuna showed during preseason that they can score away from home, with victories against Norwich and Ipswich.
However, the schedule is not ideal.
Osasuna played Levante on Monday and now have to travel to Vigo for Thursday’s match, leaving relatively little recovery time between the two fixtures.
That could become increasingly important in the second half.
Celta Vigo vs Osasuna Head-to-Head
This has traditionally been a competitive fixture.
The recent meetings also show why Celta should not underestimate Thursday’s visitors.
Osasuna won 2-1 at Balaídos in February 2026, while Celta had won the previous meeting in Pamplona 3-2.
Looking further back, results have regularly gone in both directions.
That makes home advantage useful for Celta, but certainly not decisive on its own.
Celta Vigo Team News
The main confirmed absence for Celta is Borja Iglesias.
The striker has suffered a muscle injury and is not included in Claudio Giráldez’s 24-man squad for the match.
That removes an important central attacking option.
Celta will therefore need other players to take more responsibility around the penalty area.
One interesting name in the squad is Javi Rueda. Despite ongoing speculation surrounding his future, Giráldez has included him in the group for Thursday’s match.
Celta Vigo Predicted Lineup
Celta could start with a 3-4-3 formation:
Goalkeeper:
Ionut Radu
Defence:
Javi Rodríguez – Yoel Lago – Marcos Alonso
Midfield:
Sergio Carreira – Miguel Román – Aleix Febas – Javi Galán
Attack:
Jones El-Abdellaoui – Ferrán Jutglà – Hugo Álvarez
The absence of Borja Iglesias changes the picture in attack.
Jutglà may therefore become particularly important through the middle, while Celta’s wide players will need to provide movement and creativity around him.
Official starting lineups will be confirmed closer to kick-off.
Osasuna Predicted Lineup
Osasuna could use a 4-4-2 formation:
Goalkeeper:
Sergio Herrera
Defence:
Iñigo Arguibide – Alejandro Catena – Jorge Herrando – Abel Bretones
Midfield:
Rubén García – Jon Moncayola – Iker Muñoz – Moi Gómez
Attack:
Ante Budimir – Aimar Oroz
There is plenty of experience in this Osasuna side.
The biggest threat is likely to be Ante Budimir.
Celta will need to prevent Osasuna from delivering comfortable balls into the penalty area, where Budimir’s movement and physical presence can become difficult to defend.
The Key Battle: Celta Possession vs Osasuna’s Shape
Celta should be the team taking more initiative.
Playing at Balaídos, Giráldez’s side will want to move the ball quickly and push their wide players forward.
Osasuna may be comfortable allowing them possession in less dangerous areas.
The visitors can stay compact, protect the centre and wait for opportunities to counter.
That means patience will be important for Celta.
If they become frustrated and start forcing passes through crowded areas, Osasuna could recover possession and attack the spaces left behind.
Can Celta Find Their First League Goal?
This is probably the biggest question surrounding the hosts.
Celta failed to score against Valencia, but their preseason attacking numbers were much more encouraging.
They scored four against Sassuolo and also found the net against Napoli and Braga.
Borja Iglesias being unavailable makes things slightly more difficult, but Celta still have enough technical quality to create chances.
Playing at home should also encourage them to take more risks than they did at Mestalla.
Can Osasuna Cause Problems?
Absolutely.
Osasuna won at Balaídos last season, so Celta already know what can happen if they underestimate them.
The visitors also have a clear route to goal through Budimir.
Celta’s three-man defensive structure can leave space in wide areas when the wing-backs push forward. Osasuna may look to exploit exactly those moments.
The concern is fatigue.
Having played on Monday, Osasuna could find it more difficult to maintain the same intensity for the entire 90 minutes.
That could give Celta an advantage late in the match.
Why Celta Vigo Have a Slight Edge
There is not enough separating these teams to describe Celta as overwhelming favourites.
However, three factors push us slightly towards the hosts.
First, home advantage.
This is Celta’s first league match at Balaídos this season, and they should receive plenty of support after the original fixture was postponed.
Second, their recent form has been consistent.
Celta have avoided defeat across their recent run and looked difficult to break down against Valencia.
Finally, Osasuna have had significantly less recovery time.
In a close match, those small advantages can matter.
Celta Vigo vs Osasuna Betting Tips
🔥 Main Pick: Celta Vigo Draw No Bet
Our main selection is Celta Vigo Draw No Bet.
This is not a match where we want to completely dismiss Osasuna.
The visitors have caused Celta problems before and possess enough quality to take something from Balaídos.
However, Celta’s home advantage and extra recovery time give them the edge.
Draw No Bet provides some protection if the match finishes level.
🛡️ Safe Pick: Celta Vigo or Draw (1X)
For a more conservative option:
Celta Vigo or Draw (1X)
Celta have been difficult to beat recently, and we expect another competitive performance at home.
This covers both a Celta victory and a draw.
⚽ Goals Pick: Under 3.5 Goals
Both teams opened their league campaigns with 0-0 draws.
We do not necessarily expect another goalless match, but there are good reasons to expect a relatively controlled contest.
Celta are without Borja Iglesias, while Osasuna may also manage their energy carefully because of the short turnaround.
Therefore, Under 3.5 Goals is our preferred goals pick.
💎 Value Pick: Celta Vigo to Win
For those willing to accept more risk, Celta Vigo to Win offers more value.
We expect the game to be close, but home advantage could eventually make the difference.
A narrow 1-0 or 2-1 victory would not surprise us.
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Celta Vigo vs Osasuna Predicted Score
🎯 Celta Vigo 1-0 Osasuna
We expect a tight game.
Neither side scored in their first league match, and both teams have enough defensive organisation to prevent this from becoming an open contest.
Osasuna can certainly threaten through Budimir and quick transitions.
But Celta should have more possession and, with the support of the Balaídos crowd, we expect them to create the better opportunities as the match develops.
The visitors’ short recovery period could also become noticeable late in the second half.
Our Celta Vigo vs Osasuna prediction is a 1-0 home victory for Celta Vigo.
Final Prediction
This is a difficult game to call.
Osasuna have already shown that they can win at Balaídos, while Celta are missing Borja Iglesias in attack.
Still, we slightly prefer the hosts.
Celta have home advantage, arrive with solid recent form and have had more time to prepare for Thursday’s match.
We expect Osasuna to keep things competitive, but one goal may be enough to separate the teams.
🔥 Main Pick: Celta Vigo Draw No Bet
🛡️ Safe Pick: Celta Vigo or Draw (1X)
⚽ Goals Pick: Under 3.5 Goals
💎 Value Pick: Celta Vigo to Win
🎯 Predicted Score: Celta Vigo 1-0 Osasuna
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