The Yellow Submarine host the Galician side with the ambition of securing qualification for next season’s Champions League (Sunday, 9pm CEST)
Villarreal CF host RC Celta de Vigo this Sunday at 9pm CEST at the Estadio de la Cerámica. The match corresponds to Matchday 32 of LALIGA EA Sports, with the Yellows aiming to cement third place and, in doing so, secure a place in next season’s Champions League.
Marcelino García Toral’s side come into the clash with a record of one win (1-2 against Athletic) and one draw (1-1 against Real Oviedo). Those four points have allowed Villarreal to remain in third place on 62 points, five clear of Atlético de Madrid and 13 ahead of Real Betis.
Celta de Vigo, meanwhile, currently sit seventh and arrive needing points after suffering back-to-back defeats against FC Barcelona (1-0) and Real Oviedo (0-3).
Yellow dominance at the Estadio de la Cerámica
Hosting RC Celta de Vigo at the Estadio de la Cerámica has become synonymous with good news for Yellow fans in recent seasons. The statistics show a clear home dominance against the Galician side: Villarreal have not lost at home to Celta since 2021.
This excellent recent record is also backed up by ruthless consistency. The Yellow Submarine have won each of the last four head-to-head meetings played at the Estadio de la Cerámica, stringing together four consecutive victories that underline how comfortable Villarreal are when Celta come to town. The aim this Sunday is to extend that run and claim a fifth straight home win.
An unforgettable precedent crowned by the madness of minute 100
If there is one recent match between the two sides that fans will never forget, it is the clash on Matchday three of the 2024/25 season. On Monday 26th August 2024, the Estadio de la Cerámica hosted a spectacular encounter that set social media alight and was labelled by many, even in the early stages of the campaign, as the “match of the season”.
Celta took the lead on two occasions, but Villarreal responded through goals from Sergi Cardona, Thierno Barry and an own goal forced by relentless home pressure. After Starfelt made it 3-3 ten minutes from time, the match descended into pure chaos in stoppage time: Celta came within inches of winning, hitting the post and being denied by a miraculous Diego Conde, before the final moment of ecstasy arrived. In the 100th minute, the referee awarded a penalty to the Yellow Submarine. Iván Villar saved Dani Parejo’s initial spot-kick, but the midfielder from Coslada showed belief to convert the rebound, score the decisive 4-3 and send the Estadio de la Cerámica into raptures.
