Celta Vigo will try to take another step toward the Champions League when they host Levante at Balaidos on Tuesday in La Liga matchday 36, a game that could shape both ends of the table. The hosts are sixth after 35 matches, with 13 wins, 11 draws and 11 losses, while Levante arrive two points from safety.
Celta's momentum has come at the right time. They beat Elche 3-1 at home before winning 1-0 away at Atletico Madrid on Saturday, when Borja Iglesias clipped in the decisive goal to end a run that had stretched back to June 2007 for their last away league win over Atletico. That result left Celta four points behind fifth-placed Real Betis with three games left, a run that also includes Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla.
Tuesday carries more weight than a routine top-six fixture because Celta are chasing a first Champions League place since the 2003-04 competition and are on course for a second straight season of Europa League football. The extra incentive arrived after Rayo Vallecano's second-leg win over Strasbourg secured La Liga another spot in UEFA's elite club competition, widening the path ahead of the final weeks. Levante, meanwhile, are trying to avoid an immediate return to the second tier.
The recent record points to another tight meeting. Celta have won three of the previous four clashes between the sides and took the reverse fixture 2-1 in November, when Miguel Roman scored a stoppage-time winner. Levante, though, have avoided defeat in three of their last four trips to Balaidos, and they will look to lean on a brief uptick after Friday's 3-2 victory over Osasuna, which followed a 5-1 loss away to Villarreal. Victor Garcia scored twice in two minutes in that win, Karl Etta Eyong netted the 90th-minute winner and Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera was sent off before halftime for deliberately handling the ball outside his box.
Celta's home form leaves room for worry even while they sit in sixth place. They have taken 20 points from 17 La Liga home matches, the second-worst record in the top flight, and they will be without Carl Starfelt, Miguel Roman and Matias Vecino because of injury. Levante, for their part, have won none of their last five games against Celta and have taken only two points from their last seven away matches since beating Sevilla in January. That makes Balaidos a test of whether Celta can turn a strong finish into something more ambitious, or whether Levante can force the race back into the final weekend.
