Wednesday 008 La Liga Vigo Celta vs Real Betis

Celta VS Betis: Key notes on La Liga offensive and defensive games and season trends

When the La Liga enters the September sprint stage, every game may become a watershed in the season trend. At 3 a.m. on August 28, 2025, the lights of the Valaidos Stadium pierced the night sky. The showdown between Celta and Real Betis was not only an ordinary league match, but also a "battle of survival" for two teams aiming to compete for European seats. Celta is eager to use home court advantages to reverse the start of the slump, while Betis hopes to continue his good condition to consolidate his ranking. This offensive and defensive game is full of football wisdom and competitive stories worthy of in-depth analysis from pre-match preparations to post-match aftermath.

1. Season journey: The opening code of the two heavens of ice and fire

(I) Celta: The mystery of the state after the European game bonus

Last season, Celta, who ended with the seventh place in La Liga last season, was regarded as a "dark horse candidate" for the new season with his experience in the qualifying round of the Europa League. However, judging from actual performance, the team obviously has not yet found the balance between the league and the European competition. The record of 1 win, 2 draws and 2 losses in the first 5 rounds of the league (Note: The original text "first two rounds" was adjusted to conform to the timeline of "Round 6 showdown"), exposing three core issues:

First of all, the "forefront weakness" dilemma on the offensive end. Although main striker Aspas still maintains the level of 2.3 key passes per game, his age at 31 makes it difficult for him to continue to speed up the offense and defensive conversion. The integration progress of new player Zaragoza did not meet expectations. The 22-year-old striker who came on loan from Bayern second team only completed 12 successful breakthroughs in the first five rounds and averaged 4.1 balls per game, which was clearly out of touch with Celta's tactical system of "cut in the wing + encirclement in the middle".

is followed by the decline in midfield control. With veteran Dennis Suarez transferring and leaving the team, Celta midfield lacks a "melodder" that can stably sort out the ball. Although young midfielder Vega has excellent long-range shooting ability (2.8 shots per game), the defense coverage area is insufficient (1.2 steals per game), resulting in frequent gaps in the midfield defense line after the team failed to press at high positions.

Finally, there is the "lack of stability" of the defense line. The defensive data of losing 8 goals in the first 5 rounds set the team's worst record in the same period in the past three seasons. After the main central defender Aidu missed two games due to a muscle injury, the assisted error rate of substitute central defender combinations Cabrera and Araujo increased sharply, and the number of breakthroughs per game by the opponent increased from 1.8 to 3.5 times, which also became the biggest hidden danger for Celta when playing at home.

(II) Betis: The "Green Storm" activated by the new aid

Compared with Celta's struggle, Real Betis has shown strong momentum under the guidance of new coach Pellegrini. The unbeaten record of 4 wins and 1 draw in the first 5 rounds has temporarily secured them to fourth place in the league, and their performance on both offense and defense ranks among the top in La Liga:

has shown a "multiple point blooming" trend on the offensive and defensive ends. Mexican forward Lenes continued his hot form last season, temporarily ranking third in the scorer list with 4 goals. His "left corridor" formed with Canales can create 3.2 excellent opportunities per game. What is more worthy of attention is the tactical value of new aid De Osa. Although the Colombian midfielder has not entered the starting lineup, he became the team's "midfield adhesive" with a 92% pass success rate within 135 minutes of his substitute. His "outer instep straight pass" technology has repeatedly delivered deadly passes to the front line.

The defensive end maintains "iron-blooded toughness". The main central defender Bartra and Edgar's partner are becoming more and more tacit, with a total of 4.8 interceptions per game, helping the team achieve 3 clean sheets. Fullback Ruival has a particularly outstanding offense and defense balance, with averaging 7.2 crosses and 2.3 steals per game, making Betis' right a "double-attack and defense hub."

In addition, Betis's "start control" is a great La Liga. In the first five rounds, they scored 4 goals in 30 minutes, three of which kept the lead until the end game. This "blitz" tactic not only effectively suppresses opponents' morale, but also lays the foundation for the team's subsequent defensive counterattack.

2. Home game: Valaidos's "Devil's Aura" and tactical response

(I) Celta's "Home Breakout Way"

As the famous "Devil's Home Stadium", its unique geographical environment and fan atmosphere can often bring additional combat power to Celta. Last season, the team achieved a record of 11 wins, 3 draws and 5 losses here, with a home winning rate of 57.9%. When facing the top six teams in La Liga, they even beat Atletico Madrid and Barcelona and other giants.

In order to break the deadlock in this game, Celta coach Kudt will most likely use the "4-3-3" offensive formation, but make three adjustments in details:

wing attack speed up: let winger Nolito and new player Zaragoza rotate to attack Betis' right defense line, use the speed advantage of the two people to suppress Ruival's assist range, and reduce Betis' chances of counterattack launched from the right.

Midfield strangle strengthening: Arrange the double midfielder Vega and Brashanac to strengthen the midfield interception, and at the same time, let the front midfielder Aspass appropriately retreat to participate in the defense, forming a "4-5-1" defensive formation, and cutting off the connection between Betis' midfield and the front line.

Setting ball attack: Faced with the weak links of Betis' defense in high-altitude ball defense (4.2 times per game), take advantage of the header advantage of central defender Aidu (3.5 times per game to compete for the top), and find opportunities to score in corner kicks and frontcourt free kick tactics.

(II) Betis' "Away Survival Strategy"

Facing Celta's home momentum, Betis coach Pellegrini is already ready to deal with it. In the 52nd minute, De Osa received a return pass from Canales outside the penalty area, and shot from the far corner with his right foot. Dituro flew to save the ball from the baseline, and Betis got a corner kick.

In the 55th minute, Betis used corner kick tactics to equalize the score. Canales took a corner kick from the right, and Bartra got rid of Aspas's mark in the penalty area and headed the ball, 1-1! This goal is not only Baltra's first league goal this season, but also reflects the power of Betis' set-piece tactics. After

equalized the score, Betis' offensive momentum became stronger. In the 63rd minute, Lenes broke through on the left and passed the cross. De Osa turned around and shot in the penalty area, but was blocked by Idu and went out of the baseline. In the 68th minute, Celta coach Kudt made an adjustment and replaced defensive midfielder Brashanac with offensive midfielder Dennis Suarez to try to strengthen midfield control.

In the 75th minute, Celta almost led the way again. Aspas received a straight pass from Dennis Suarez in the penalty area. Facing the attack from Betis goalkeeper Bravo, he pushed the shot from the far corner and missed the chance to kill.

In the 82nd minute, Betis completed the overtake. De Osa launched a quick counterattack in the midfield and passed the ball to Ruival who was inserted on the right. Ruival passed through the penalty area. Lenes crossed the ball to score the goal through the back point, 2-1! This goal allowed Betis to reverse the away game, and also allowed Lenes's league goals to reach 5, temporarily leading the scorer list.

In the end, the game ended, Real Betis defeated Celta away with a score of 2-1, continuing the unbeaten record in the new season. Celta, on the other hand, suffered two consecutive losses at home, and further dropped to 13th place in the league.

5. Post-match analysis: Deep logic behind the results of the game

(I) The three key factors for Betis' victory

The timeliness of tactical adjustments: Pellegrini made two key substitutions in the game (De Osa and Juanmi), which activated the midfield control and front impact respectively, especially De Osa's appearance, which increased Betis' passing success rate from 78% to 89%, completely controlling the rhythm of the game.

Efficiency of defensive counterattack: Betis completed only 9 shots in the game, but had 6 shots on the right side, with a shooting conversion rate of 22.2%, far exceeding the league average (12.5%). The wing combination of Lenes and Ruival can create 2.5 counterattack opportunities per game, becoming a "nightmare" in Celta's defense.

Tactical Value of Settings: Betis won 5 corner kicks throughout the game, with 1 of which converted into a goal, and the settlings scored 20%. Baltra's header not only broke the game deadlock, but also greatly boosted the team's morale.

(II) The core issue of Celta's loss

The lack of midfield control: Although Celta's total ball possession rate reaches 56%, its effective pass rate is only 72%, far lower than Betis' 85%. Vega and Brashanac's midfield combination was completely passive after De Osa came on the court, and the average pass count dropped from 38 to 25, resulting in repeated interruptions in the team's offense.

Defense line "Inattention": Betis' two goals were from Celta's defensive mistakes. In the first goal, Aspas gave up his mark on Bartra, causing the opponent to easily head the ball; in the second goal, Garland's return to defense was not timely, allowing Lenes to get an empty goal opportunity.

New Agents' "Integration Dilemma": Although Zaragoza gave 1 assist in the game, he lost as many as 6 balls in the game and failed to provide effective help on the defensive end. It still takes more time to get through with the team's tactical system.

6. Season Outlook: The long-term impact of a game on the two teams

(I) Betis: "Ambition upgrade" to the Champions League qualification

This victory not only allowed Betis to continue his unbeaten record, but also allowed them to further narrow the gap with the top three in the standings. Judging from the season trend, Betis is expected to compete for the Champions League qualification this season, mainly based on the following three reasons:

The lineup is sufficient in depth: In addition to the strong strength of the main lineup, Betis' bench also has powerful players such as De Osa and Juanmi, which gives them rotation capital in multi-line combat.

The tactical system is mature: the "4-2-3-1" formation created by Pellegrini not only retains Betis' traditional offensive firepower, but also strengthens defensive stability. This tactical style of "offensive and defensive balance" is suitable for long-term combat.

The advantage of the schedule is obvious: in the next five rounds of the league, Betis will face mid- and lower-level teams such as Getafe and Almeria. If he can remain unbeaten, he is expected to further consolidate the top four positions.

(II) Celta: The "life and death battle" of European war qualification

The loss in this game caused Celta's ranking to fall to 13th in the league, which is 8 points away from the European war qualification area. If you want to achieve your season goals, the team must make changes in the following three aspects:

The potential for injury risk solving: Let main players such as Aidu and Dennis Suarez recover their health as soon as possible and rebuild the team's core framework.

Tactical system adjustment: Abandon unrealistic high-post pressing tactics, adopt the "4-2-3-1" formation to strengthen the midfield defense, and provide more protection for the defense line.

New aid activation: Through targeted training, help Zaragoza integrate into the team's tactical system as soon as possible and enhance the threat of the offensive end.

In addition, Celta needs to pay attention to the use of home advantage - in the next three home games, they will face strong opponents such as Valencia and Sevilla. If they can win a row, they still have the chance to return to the European qualification zone.

7. Conclusion: Talking about a ball in the sea