This evening at Balaídos Stadium in Vigo, the second round of the Europa League group stage will feature a match between the local team Celta and Greek side PAOK. The game is scheduled to start at 21:00 local time. For the Galician team, this is a chance to secure their first win of the season, as their previous eight matches ended without success.
Claudio Giráldez’s squad failed to earn any points in the opening round, losing to Germany’s Stuttgart. The La Liga campaign is also proving difficult: the team has yet to taste victory, and recent defeats to Stuttgart and Elche have only worsened their situation. Celta will be without Sergio Carreira and Ristic, who are still recovering from injury.
PAOK comes into the match as one of the leaders of the Greek league, remaining undefeated in the national competition. The visitors will be missing Pelkas, who is also sidelined due to injury. The Celta coaching staff is expected to continue their player rotation policy in search of the optimal lineup.
For Balaídos Stadium, this will be the first European event in 3,073 days. The last international match here took place in May 2017, when Celta hosted Manchester United under the guidance of José Mourinho.
Ahead of the game, forward Borja Iglesias emphasized that the team’s scoring ability does not depend on just one player. In his view, success is built on collective effort, and every player can contribute to the attack. He stressed that the current squad has the potential to turn the situation around for the better.
Coach Claudio Giráldez expressed confidence in the need to return to the team’s usual style of play. According to him, the team has struggled to showcase its strengths in recent matches due to psychological pressure and setbacks at the start of the season. Giráldez noted that it is important for the squad to regain confidence and improve their on-field coordination.
Special attention during match preparation was given to analyzing PAOK’s strengths. The Spanish club intends to focus on its own capabilities and increase attacking efficiency, while also minimizing defensive errors. The Celta staff believe that only teamwork will lead to a positive outcome.
In Vigo, there is hope that the return of European matches to Balaídos will inspire both players and fans. For Celta, this evening could mark a turning point out of a prolonged crisis and the beginning of a successful run this season.
