Red and white again awaits a landmark rivalry with white and blue. At this time - in the European scenery. Clubs are connected by a community of historical characters. Valery Karpin and Alexander Mostovoy were once key midfielders of the first Russian and then the Spanish team. And last summer, Romanian defender Gabriel Tamas was sent by Spartak to gain experience just in Celta.
The head coach of the team from Vigo Fernando Vazquez adheres to the 4-2-3-1 scheme in its defensive form. If necessary, one of the midfielders moves to attack. However, such a luxury “Celta” rarely allows itself.
The beginning of the season was encouraging for her, but then the result was gone. Now the losing streak of the team has reached 11 matches (taking into account the UEFA Cup), and Celta stone fell to the 18th place in the example. It is unnecessary to explain how this affects the psychological state.
After the November European Cup victory over Fenerbahce, December became the month of peace in Vigo - the team played all matches in a draw. And the Galician people gave January points to their opponents without a trace.
In two February matches, Celta first tied with the sinking Real Sociedad of San Sebastian, and then lost to Espanyol in their Balaidos. And yet, even despite the difficult period, the team loses with a difference of no more than a ball or two.
Celta completed the group stage of the UEFA Cup in second place, with 5 points behind Newcastle. The only defeat she inflicted was an English club. In addition to winning against the Turks, the Galician made two draws: with the German Eintracht and the Italian Palermo.
The average performance of Celta this season is independent of the tournament and amounts to one goal per game. She misses half a goal more. It is common for a team to activate in the second half, especially in their first fifteen minutes. Galicians often score in this particular segment of the matches, but then miss more.
Goalkeepers
Celta has two experienced players in this line: Jose Pinto and Esteban Suarez. The current main goalkeeper of Pinto at Mostovoy and Karpin was a substitute. Low (177 cm) Esteban is satisfied with the matches of the UEFA Cup as compensation. It may be in the hands of Spartak - after all, Pinto has been among the best goalkeepers for the second season in a row.
Protection
The well-established defense of the Galician is in this composition (from right to left): Angel Lopez Ruano, Pedro Contreras, Gabriel Tamas (Matias Lecki), Diego Placente. A rented Romanian in matches with Spartak will not help the Spaniards under the terms of the contract. The abundance of cards and the almost peak congestion of Pinto and Esteban speak loudly about the level of the protective line.
Midfield
Vazquez usually puts five players in the middle line, two of whom are defensive midfielders. More often it is Borja Obinha, who begins the attack of the "Celta", and the Brazilian Irenaeus. The composition and position of the attacking trio of Galician people are constantly changing. A place at the base is guaranteed only to the South Americans Kanobbio and Nene. They can be seen on the flanks and in the center.
Attack
Vulnerability of the Celta. The team relies heavily on the efforts of the only forward of high qualification - Fernando Bayano. The scorer scored 8 goals in the example. There is absolutely nothing to say about the rest of the attackers. Perhaps that is why the Galicians win with a difference of only one ball.
What to look for
Counterattack. The team, not being able to dictate terms to rivals, prefers to act on defense. This explains the good performance of Celta on the road, where two-thirds of the points are scored.
Standard provisions. Given the problems of Celta, any “standard” is worth its weight in gold for her. As a rule, Kanobbio, who played in Valencia, is involved in his conversion to goals. He can punch himself or accurately hang.
Who to pay attention to
Fernando Bayano. The Brazilian striker often has to play the role of attack tip. The lone striker is the addressee of the lion's share of programs and almost their only finalizer.
Fabian Canobbio. Uruguayan takes the free-kick and free, connects to attacks, hits from afar. Paz can aggravate the situation at the gates of others. Paired with Bayano - the team's top scorer in the European Cup with three goals.
Borja Obinha. One of the few Spaniards at the heart of Celta. Without much success, I tried in the national team. Despite his role, he likes to connect to attacks, which he often starts himself.
Duel
Fernando Bayano - Spartak defense. An attacker even alone can create problems for the unstable defense of Muscovites. And even more so to take advantage of mistakes like those that she sinned in the Champions League in the fall. Bayano loves to be proactive, so you need to be on the alert with him.
Trainer
Fernando Vazquez, nicknamed Harry Potter for his portrait resemblance to a young wizard, is now in an ambiguous position. The leadership of "Celta" recently even openly invited another coach to head the club. Therefore, Vasquez has to think about how to justify the nickname not only with appearance, but also with actions.
In Spain, Celta is forced to fight hard for the right to remain an example. We will soon find out what the attitude of the Galician people towards the UEFA Cup will be - how to perk up and earn money or as an occupation that only distracts from the main work - we will find out very soon.
Stanislav POPOVICH