Planning to see Valencia CF - Celta Vigo in LaLiga at Mestalla? The 22.08.2026 match opens the league season for both teams after their first-round fixtures were moved. Prepare your stadium trip and ticket purchase, and check current team, injury and transport information
Valencia CF - Celta Vigo: the season begins with an unusually important clash at Mestalla
Valencia CF and Celta Vigo enter Matchday 2 of LaLiga 2026/27 in a highly unusual situation: the match at Camp de Mestalla will be the first league appearance of the season for both teams. Valencia had its Matchday 1 game against Real Betis rescheduled to 25 August, while Celta had to postpone its home match against CA Osasuna due to problems with the pitch at the stadium in Vigo, so it will be played on 27 August. As a result, Saturday's clash in Valencia carries the weight of a genuine season opener, even though according to the calendar it belongs to Matchday 2.
The table does not yet provide a true picture of their strength at this point, because Valencia and Celta both have zero matches played. Their first impression will be created precisely at Mestalla, in front of supporters entering Valencia CF's final season at this stadium before the planned move to a new home.
Ticket sales for this match are ongoing.
Valencia ended preparations with a win, Corberán still searching for the best setup
Carlos Corberán enters the new season with a contract extended until 2028 and the task of making the team more stable. The final stage of preparations revealed several elements worth watching against Celta: high pressing, an aggressive reaction after losing the ball and testing a five-player defensive line.
The final friendly brought a 2-0 victory over Hércules CF. Javi Guerra scored the first goal after a quick transition, while Ryunosuke Sato added the second following a combination involving Guerra and Hugo Duro. Before that, Valencia lost 1-2 to Newcastle United at Mestalla and drew 1-1 against Stoke City. Against Stoke City, it tried to press high and immediately recover the ball after losing it, while Javi Guerra confirmed ahead of the start of the league season that the team was experimenting with a line of five players.
Valencia players particularly worth watching
- Javi Guerra - scored against Hércules and is being given the freedom to drop deeper to receive the ball, but also to make runs into the finishing areas.
- Hugo Duro - finished the previous league season with 10 goals, reaching double figures in the league for the third consecutive time.
- Ryunosuke Sato - scored against CD Eldense and Hércules, and his pace could be important against Celta's back line.
- Filip Ugrinic - scored against Newcastle United and provides an additional option for shooting and late runs from deeper positions.
- Stole Dimitrievski - played in goal in the final preparation matches and enters the season as an important figure in the last line of defence.
One specific problem for the home side is Luis Rioja. Valencia CF announced on 4 August that he had suffered an injury to the right quadriceps muscle against Stoke City and was undergoing treatment and rehabilitation until clinical improvement. As no return date was given, his appearance against Celta should not be taken for granted.
Celta arrives unbeaten from pre-season
Celta finished the summer unbeaten in five friendly matches. Claudio Giráldez's team drew 2-2 with SC Braga, beat Sporting de Gijón 1-0, drew 2-2 with Académico de Viseu, defeated US Sassuolo 4-1 and concluded preparations with a 1-1 draw against SSC Napoli. Ferran Jutglà scored the equaliser in that final test.
The plan had been to open the league season against CA Osasuna, but the match was postponed following problems with the pitch at Abanca Balaídos. Celta therefore arrives in Valencia without a league match under its belt, but also without having spent energy on a competitive fixture a week earlier.
Giráldez extended his contract until 2028 and continues to build a team that often relies on three players in the back line, active wide players and technically capable footballers between the lines. In the most recent league meeting between these clubs in April, Celta came from behind at Mestalla to win 3-2, while in January it won 4-1 at home.
Celta's main attacking threats
Iago Aspas enters his final season as an active Celta player. In May, the club announced an extension of their cooperation that includes one more season on the pitch, after which he is expected to continue working within the club structure. His role is not only about scoring goals: he can drop between the lines and connect midfield with the forwards.
Borja Iglesias returned to the team in August after international duties and represents a more direct threat inside the penalty area. Alongside him, important options include Ferran Jutglà, who scored against Napoli, as well as Williot Swedberg, Hugo Álvarez and Jones El-Abdellaoui.
Celta's medical update from 13 August lists two players who had not yet returned to full training:
- Javi Galán - is recovering from a minor muscle-fibre tear in the left rectus femoris and trained partially with the team.
- Pablo Durán - after surgery for instability in his left shoulder, he was also taking part in partial training with the squad.
- Other statuses - the same update did not list any additional first-team players with an active medical status.
Tactical battle: Valencia's pressing against Celta's width
One of the most interesting areas will be the flanks. Valencia experimented with five players in the back line during preparations, while Celta under Giráldez uses systems in which the wide players attack high up the pitch and the three centre-backs remain as cover. If both teams start with such setups, the match could produce many direct duels near the touchlines.
Valencia's objective will be to prevent Celta from calmly building attacks through the first line. High pressing can force the visitors into quicker decisions, but it carries a risk: if Aspas, Jutglà or the midfielders get through the first wave, space can open up behind Valencia's wide players.
Celta, on the other hand, must account for Javi Guerra as a player capable of changing the tempo with a single forward run. In the victory against Hércules, it was precisely a transition with his run from a deeper position that produced the opening goal. Hugo Duro occupies the centre-backs and opens space for midfield runners, while Ryunosuke gives the home side pace if Celta loses the ball with its wide players pushed forward.
Set pieces could also carry weight. In the most recent meeting between these clubs at Mestalla, Valencia took the lead from a corner through Guido Rodríguez, but failed to maintain control and Celta turned the match around in the second half.
Head-to-head meetings: Celta has the better record in the last five
The last five league meetings favour Celta: three wins, one Valencia win and one draw. Celta won both head-to-head matches in the 2025/26 season.
- Valencia CF 2-3 Celta Vigo - April 2026.
- Celta Vigo 4-1 Valencia CF - January 2026.
- Valencia CF 2-1 Celta Vigo - February 2025.
- Celta Vigo 3-1 Valencia CF - August 2024.
- Celta Vigo 2-2 Valencia CF - May 2024.
In April, the home side at Mestalla led 1-0, but Celta came back in the second half through Ilaix Moriba, Fer López and Williot Swedberg to make it 3-1 before Guido Rodríguez reduced the deficit late on for the final 2-3 scoreline. In the January meeting in Vigo, Borja Iglesias scored twice in a 4-1 victory. For Valencia, it is therefore particularly important to control the period immediately after losing possession.
Mestalla: steep stands and the final season at the old stadium
Camp de Mestalla is located at Avenida de Suecia s/n in Valencia. The stadium opened on 20 May 1923 and has a capacity of 49,419 spectators. Its most recognisable characteristic for visitors is its exceptionally steep stands, which make the upper rows appear visually very close to the pitch.
The season carries additional significance because Valencia CF is presenting 2026/27 as its final campaign at Camp de Mestalla, while the opening of Nou Mestalla is planned for the summer of 2027. Every major home match therefore carries another layer of emotional meaning for supporters saying goodbye to the stadium where the club has played for more than a century.
Seats in the stands are disappearing quickly.
Mestalla is located in a densely built-up urban area, so public transport is more practical than attempting to arrive by car immediately before kick-off. The club lists the metro and several bus routes as direct options.
How to get to Mestalla
- Aragón Metro - the closest station to the stadium; lines 5 and 7 pass through it.
- Facultats Metro - another nearby option; lines 3 and 9 pass through it.
- Bus - Valencia CF lists routes 10, 32, 71 and 80 for getting to the stadium.
- Car - no special parking arrangement has been announced for this match, so city traffic restrictions should be checked on the day of the game.
- Stadium entrances - the verified announcements do not specify the exact opening time of the entrances, so this information should be checked shortly before arrival.
For recent matches at Mestalla, Metrovalencia listed Aragón and Facultats as the nearest stations and organised additional services for evening fixtures. For the match against Celta, the timetable should be checked on the day of the game because special services depend on the operator's transport plan.
Valencia as a base for a supporters' weekend
Valencia is a major Mediterranean city on the eastern coast of Spain, and Mestalla is close enough to the central urban areas for matchday to be organised without a car. The metro network connects the city and the airport, while line 5 passes through Aragón station next to the stadium.
For supporters who want to experience the rhythm of matchday, the approach to the stadium through the surrounding streets is also important. A match that opens the season for both teams should raise the intensity even further: Valencia arrives after a win in its final test and with the desire to establish its home authority immediately, while Celta arrives unbeaten from preparations and with strong recent head-to-head results.
It is worth securing tickets in good time.
What to watch immediately before kick-off
The first piece of information will be Valencia's setup in the back line. If Corberán continues with the five-player line he tested during preparations, Javi Guerra could gain more freedom to move towards the penalty area, but the wide players will have to close down Celta's transitions quickly. If the home side starts with four at the back, it will be interesting to see who picks up Aspas when he drops deeper and opens space for the striker.
The second point is Luis Rioja's status. His quadriceps injury was confirmed at the beginning of August, but without a precise return date. The third is Giráldez's attacking selection following the return of Borja Iglesias. Jutglà completed preparations and scored against Napoli, while Iglesias brings physical presence and finishing inside the penalty area.
Celta's Javi Galán and Pablo Durán should also be monitored, as they were still listed as taking part in partial training on 13 August. Final assessments of availability only make sense after the last training sessions and the publication of the line-ups for the match.
The most important peculiarity, however, remains the league schedule. Although on paper we are looking at Matchday 2, for Valencia CF and Celta Vigo this is the competitive start of the season. There is no previous league rhythm or genuine pattern in the table before both teams fulfil their Matchday 1 obligations a few days later. The start at Mestalla could therefore be particularly important: the home side will try to impose pressure and the energy of the stands, while the visitors will seek to calm the tempo through possession and width.
Sources:
- LALIGA - schedule and status of Matchday 1 and Matchday 2 fixtures and the current standings before the match.
- Valencia CF - dates against Celta Vigo and Real Betis, final preparation matches, Javi Guerra's statement, medical information on Luis Rioja, Carlos Corberán's contract and information about Camp de Mestalla.
- Celta - postponement of the match against CA Osasuna, completion of an unbeaten pre-season, medical bulletin, Claudio Giráldez's contract and information on Iago Aspas and Borja Iglesias.
- Metrovalencia - nearest stations to Mestalla and transport arrangements for recent matches at the stadium.