Celta vs Alaves Prediction, H2H Stats & Statistical Bets 18 October 2026
🔊 On Thursday, Celta took the lead against Juventus through a Hugo Alvarez goal, held the draw for a long time after the break, but conceded a decisive goal in added time and lost 1-2. Three days later they are back at Balaídos, this time in La Liga and against a side that has had a full week to prepare.
Alavés also lost their previous match - Atlético only broke Basque resistance in the 87th minute to win 2-1. Kike Sánchez Flores's side spent more than half an hour with ten men and still had a chance of at least a point going into the final stages. So Sunday brings together not two sides falling apart, but two clubs who are just short of getting results.
The last five head-to-head meetings have been almost perfectly split.
📊 The two sides have met 42 times: Celta have won 17, Alavés 14, with 11 draws. The average total is 2.52 goals, and both teams scored in exactly half of those meetings.
Recent history offers no clear advantage to either side. Over the last five head-to-head meetings, each team has won twice, with one draw.
Head-to-head statistics Celta - Alaves
Celta have conceded just six goals but have almost stopped scoring themselves.
After eight league rounds, Claudio Giráldez's side have eight points and a goal difference of 8-6. The defence looks solid, but the attack has struggled for goals. Five of Celta's eight goals came against Racing, and in their other seven matches they have scored just three times. In the most recent round, against Elche, they failed to register a single shot on target. They then had to get through a gruelling 90 minutes against Juventus, which demanded a completely different level of intensity and concentration. They will certainly not be physically fresh going into this match.
That said, the attack cannot be written off entirely. Fans at Balaídos have already seen five goals put past Racing, and against Juventus Celta also found their moment and kept the favourites nervous for a long time. For Giráldez right now, the priority is learning to convert their build-up play into genuine chances.
Match Results: Celta de Vigo
Alavés have picked up more points, despite rarely dominating possession.
The visitors have 11 points from 8 matches. Their goal difference stands at 12-8, meaning their attacking numbers look better than their opponents'. Alavés average around 41% possession, and Sánchez Flores' side make no attempt to win through control.
Results have dipped in recent weeks, though. After a bright 5-2 win over Osasuna, the Basque side lost to Racing and Valencia, then drew 0-0 with Athletic, before Atlético snatched a win late on. Alavés scored just twice across those four fixtures. That said, they were not completely outclassed against the Madrid side - after the red card, they defended with ten men for over 30 minutes and had a chance to go ahead shortly before their opponents' decisive goal.
Match Results: Deportivo Alaves
Latest news
Celta de Vigo
🚑 Carl Starfelt, Borja Iglesias, Miguel Román, Pablo Durán and Jones Elí-Abdellaoui were all absent from the squad for the Juventus match through injury. There is no time for the situation to change before the Alavés game, so they are unlikely to feature in the upcoming match either.
Deportivo Alaves
❌ Ángel Pérez will miss the trip to Vigo after his red card against Atlético. Facundo Garcés and Mikel Rodríguez are recovering from injuries.
⚽ Goals Prediction
Celta have made low-scoring matches almost a habit. No more than two goals were scored in 6 of their 8 league matches, with three of those ending 0-0. Even the sudden 5-0 against Racing looks like an exception rather than a new attacking norm.
Alavés have also not been particularly prolific recently, scoring just twice in their previous four league rounds. Add in the hosts' short turnaround after the Juventus match and several injury absences in their forward line. The bet: Total Goals - Under 2.5 at 1.65*.
🚩 Corners Prediction
Celta are among the least active teams in La Liga when it comes to winning their own corners - averaging 3.13 per match. At home that figure barely changes, sitting at around 3.25. On top of that, across all 8 league rounds they have never won more than five corners in a single match, with five being their maximum, achieved against Getafe and Osasuna. Even against Racing, when they scored five goals, Celta won just three corners. Our pick: Celta Vigo Team Total Corners - Under 5.5 at 1.72*.
🟨 Yellow Cards Prediction
Both sides have started the season at almost identical levels of discipline - each team has picked up 14 bookings in 8 league rounds. The foul counts have already mounted up considerably, though: Celta have committed 96 fouls, Alavés 106. Each side also has one red card to their name.
The hosts have an added factor working against them in the shape of fatigue from the Juventus match - when legs get heavy, teams tend to give away more tactical fouls. Alavés are no strangers to physical play even without that, as their previous meeting with Atlético showed clearly. That kind of backdrop looks perfectly suited to four bookings. We're taking Total Yellow Cards - Over 3.5.
*Odds are indicative and may vary across different bookmakers.
⭐️ Editorial Prediction
The statistics seem to point towards a low-scoring game. Celta have conceded just 6 goals in 8 rounds, Alavés 8. On top of that, the hosts have drawn five times. That said, ruling out goals at both ends entirely would be a mistake. The Galicians have just scored against Juventus and have shown at home that they can come alive in attack quite sharply. The visitors have Lucas Boye, who scored against Atlético and remains the team's main finisher.
Even so, expecting 4 or 5 goals would be optimistic. Celta are tired after European football and are without several attacking players, while Alavés have scored just twice in their last four league rounds. The most logical outcome looks like a scoring draw. Predicted score: 1-1. Main prediction: Both Teams to Score - Yes.
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Betting Tips: Celta de Vigo - Deportivo Alaves
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