((STREAMS>)) Barcelona vs Celta Vigo Live Broadcast Free 17 February 2024 Today
Barcelona vs Celta Vigo live stream: How to watch Spanish La Liga game online. Barcelona looks to get back into the win column Saturday when it plays Celta Vigo in a La Liga match at Estadio de Balaídos. It’s been tough for Celta on the road, who hasn’t recorded an away victory in the league since December.
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Despite losing three La Liga matches, Barcelona is still atop the standings going into its next slate of games.
Here’s how to watch Barcelona vs. Celta Vigo:
Who: Barcelona vs. Celta Vigo
When: Saturday, Feb. 17 at 12:30 p.m. EST
Where: Estadio de Balaídos in Pontevedra, Spain
Channel info: Saturday’s match will air at 8 a.m. EST on ESPN Deportes and can be streamed on ESPN+.
Xavi Hernández will have one more chance to get his Barcelona playing well before its first Champions League knockout-round game in three years.
Barcelona crosses northern Spain to Celta Vigo on Saturday, four days before it travels to Napoli in the Champions League round of 16.
Xavi stunned Barcelona less than three weeks ago, when he announced he would not continue as coach after this season. He cited “mental fatigue” and said he hoped his announcement would release the tension he felt on his team. But Barcelona still looks like a side ill equipped to make a deep run in Europe’s elite competition.
After wins over Osasuna and Alaves, Barcelona had to endure jeers from its fans last weekend when it struggled to salvage a 3-3 draw against a relegation-threatened Granada. And that was with goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen back in the lineup after he missed several weeks injured.
“Our defensive errors are killing us and have marked our season,” Xavi said after being irate at his team’s mistakes. “We cannot have any more slips.”
At first glance, the game against Rafa Benítez’s Celta looks like just what Barcelona needs. Celta is one spot and three points above the drop zone and has lost four of its last five games across La Liga and the Copa del Rey.
But Balaidos Stadium has proven to be one of the toughest grounds for Barcelona in recent years. Barcelona has won only one of its last eight visits to Celta, in 2020.
Celta striker Iago Aspas has done most of the damage against Barcelona, scoring 10 goals in 18 career league games against the Catalan club. The 36-year-old Aspas, however, is no longer a sure bet to start for Benítez after scoring only three times in this campaign.
Jorgen Strand Larssen is Celta’s top scoring threat with nine league goals. United States midfielder Luca de la Torre and Aspas have helped with five assists each.
Barcelona is in third place at 10 points behind leader Real Madrid.
Its game at Napoli comes after it failed to advance from the Champions League group phase in the previous two seasons.
Madrid leads second-placed Girona by five points before the frontrunner visits crosstown rival Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
Rayo, in 14th place, will play its first game under new coach Íñigo Pérez after the club fired Francisco Rodríguez following a run of bad results.
Girona has a tough visit to fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao on Monday. Girona is coming off a scoreless draw with Real Sociedad and a 4-0 loss at Madrid last weekend.
The Blaugrana last picked up a 2-2 draw with second-from-bottom-placed Granada, while Celta lie on the edge of the drop zone after suffering a 3-2 loss at Getafe the last time out.
Defender Joseph Aidoo is a long-term absentee with a knee injury, while Carlos Dotor is a doubt due to a muscle issue. Los Celestes coach Rafa Benitez has a fully fit squad otherwise, with January signing Tadeo Allende also a good option to include from the first whistle.
As Oriol Romeu remains a doubt with a knee problem, Barca boss Xavi will continue to miss the services of Ferran Torres, Joao Felix, Sergi Roberto, Alejandro Balde, Marcos Alonso and Gavi through injuries.
Ronald Araujo could return to the XI against Celta, while Raphinha is in line to mark his comeback from a muscle injury layoff, and Vitor Roque is back from a ban.
With Real Madrid building up a five-point cushion ahead of second place Girona, Barcelona trail Los Blancos by 10 points, with 14 league games left to play this season. Xavi's incoming exit from the club continues to be a major talking point in Catalonia with his team held to a shock 3-3 home draw by Granada last weekend.
The home side coached by former Liverpool Rafa Benitez remain without the services of Joseph Aidoo due to a long-term knee injury and also Carlos Dotor is in doubt for a muscular issue.
Xavi is expected to make two changes to the side that started against Granada, with Ronald Araujo and Raphinha available again. Vitor Roque is back after his suspension but he's expected to start on the bench.
Having seen their form improve somewhat since Xavi Hernandez confirmed he would be leaving the club at the end of the current campaign, the Catalans will be expecting to take maximum points back home with them away to a struggling Celta, who sit 17th in the table and three points above the relegation zone.
Xavi's side endured yet another frustrating result last time out, only managing a 3-3 draw with bottom-three side Granada. With cup exits and the announced departure of their manager at the end of the campaign, the season has gradually grown more disappointing for Barca. With Napoli to come in the Champions League, it could get worse still.
Celta Vigo will be very disappointed with how their season has gone, given they have semi-regularly finished in European spots qualification spots in recent years. They are only three points above the drop zone and have everything to play for when Barca arrive in town.
The Spanish club's fortunes are a concern from an American perspective as USMNT midfielder Luca de la Torre is on their roster. De la Torre has been used in a variety of positions for Celta this season including center-midfield, right-midfield and as a left-winger.
In LaLiga, de la Torre has played 22 times this campaign, scoring once and making four assists. It will be intriguing to see how he gets on this weekend as Celta take on Barcelona.
Barca drew 3-3 with Granada last weekend. Robert Lewandowski got on the scoresheet and Lamine Yamal scored a brace. The result leaves Xavi's side third in LaLiga and ten points off the leaders Real Madrid.