Croatia
Indonesia
Nigeria
South Africa

Preview: Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Celta Vigo - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 5 August 2021, 12:19
Wolverhampton Wanderers will round off their preparations for the 2021-22 Premier League campaign with a pre-season clash against La Liga outfit Celta Vigo on Saturday afternoon.

Wolves will open their season with a trip to Leicester City on August 14, while Celta will begin their domestic campaign with a home game against Spanish champions Atletico Madrid.

Match preview

Wolves have had a relatively busy summer in terms of fixtures, playing five friendlies in total, recording two wins, one draw and two defeats, and the clash with Celta will mark their final pre-season fixture of the summer.

Bruno Lage's side opened their preparations with a 1-0 loss at Crewe Alexandra on July 24 before beating Real Betis and losing to Las Palmas in their next two fixtures.

Wolves have taken on English opposition in their last two matches, drawing 1-1 with Stoke City last weekend before recording a 2-1 victory over Coventry City on August 1.

Lage's team, as mentioned, will open their 2021-22 Premier League season with a trip to the King Power Stadium to face Leicester on August 14, before also tackling Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in the final stages of the month.

Wolves have been relatively busy in terms of incomings in the current market, with Jose Sa, Yerson Mosquera and Francisco Trincao among those to arrive at Molineux, while the club have managed to complete a permanent deal for the young full-back Rayan Ait Nouri.

Celta, meanwhile, will enter this weekend's contest off the back of a goalless draw with Gil Vicente in their third pre-season clash of the summer on Tuesday.

The La Liga outfit have also beaten Atletico Sanluqueno and Pafos FC during their preparations for the new campaign and will now round off their pre-season against Wolves on Saturday afternoon.

Eduardo Coudet's side have a difficult start to the new campaign, as they welcome the champions Atletico on August 15 before ending the month with clashes against Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao.

The Sky Blues, who finished eighth in La Liga last season, have secured deals for Franco Cervi, Javi Galan and Matias Dituro during this summer's transfer window, while a number of players have moved on, meaning that there will be a new look to the side next term.

Wolverhampton Wanderers Pre-Season Friendlies form:

Celta Vigo Pre-Season Friendlies form:

Team News

Wolves boss Lage will have his eyes on his team's Premier League opener, but there will still be a number of changes throughout this weekend's contest.

Joao Moutinho was a late substitute during the win over Coventry last time out, and the experienced midfielder could now come into the first XI alongside fellow Portugal international Ruben Neves.

Nelson Semedo is also likely to feature from the first whistle, while those not used in the clash with Coventry - Sa, Fernando Marcal, Romain Saiss, Trincao and Raul Jimenez - are in line for minutes.

Celta boss Coudet made full use of his squad in the clash with Gil Vicente on Tuesday, and there will once again be a number of changes from the Spanish club throughout the contest.

Denis Suarez, Nolito and Brais Mendez are all likely to retain their positions in the first XI, while there could be another spot in the final third for Cervi, who has made the move from Benfica this summer.

Dituro - a loan signing during the current window - is likely to retain his spot between the sticks, while Galan should feature at left-back following his arrival from Huesca.

Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:

Sa; Semedo, Saiss, Kilman, Ait-Nouri; Neves, Dendoncker, Moutinho; Gibbs-White, Silva, Traore

Celta Vigo possible starting lineup:

Dituro; Mallo, Aidoo, Fontan, Galan; Tapia, Suarez, Mendez; Nolito, Cervi, Mina

We say: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-2 Celta Vigo

Celta are more than capable of making this a very tricky game for Wolves, which is exactly what Lage will want at this stage of pre-season. We can see a really open match on Saturday between two teams that like to get the ball down and pass it, and we are predicting an entertaining draw here.

Top News

22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk South American giants Palmeiras have reportedly sent an 'initial proposal' to Fulham for midfielder Andreas Pereira. 22 December 2024 talksport.com Nuno Espirito Santo will rival Arne Slot to win the Premier League's Manager of the Year award. 22 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona want to sever ties with attacker Ansu Fati at the earliest opportunity in the January transfer window but the player is rebelling against a move, according to a report. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane has confirmed that he wants to remain at the Allianz Arena despite links with a return to the Premier League next year. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Serie A powerhouses Napoli have supposedly expressed an interest in signing Manchester United defender Harry Maguire on a free transfer next summer. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Alexander Sorloth scored a last-gasp winner as Atletico Madrid defeated Barcelona 2-1 at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys to go top of the La Liga table. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal attacker Bukayo Saka has been seen leaving Selhurst Park on crutches after sustaining a suspected hamstring problem in Saturday's 5-1 Premier League win over Crystal Palace. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have written a new page of English football history thanks to their 5-1 destruction of London rivals Crystal Palace in Saturday's Premier League derby. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Round 17 of the 2024-25 Turkish Super Lig will be wrapped up with a clash between two sides from the Marmara region, as Istanbul Basaksehir welcome Kasimpasa to the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadyumu on Monday evening. 21 December 2024 talksport.com Leicester loan star Facundo Buonanotte wants to see a Tottenham forward join him so they can rekindle their partnership. 21 December 2024 talksport.com Arsenal's rivals will hate it but they can definitely claim London is red after their 5-1 win over Crystal Palace. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus continued his resurgence with two goals as the Gunners demolished Crystal Palace 5-1 in the Premier League at Selhurst Park. 21 December 2024 talksport.com Arsenal fans' worst fears have been realised with Bukayo Saka substituted early with a suspected hamstring injury. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have suffered a worrying injury blow over Bukayo Saka, who appeared to pick up a hamstring problem in Saturday's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona and Arsenal are reportedly both interested in signing Sevilla midfielder Lucien Agoume, with the France Under-21s international potentially leaving Estadio Ramon next summer. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid have welcomed Ferland Mendy back into their squad for Sunday's La Liga clash with Sevilla. 21 December 2024 talksport.com Mykhailo Mudryk will be sat ringside at Oleksandr Usyk's rematch with Tyson Fury days after being suspended from football. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Southampton have confirmed the appointment of former Roma head coach Ivan Juric as their new manager following the departure of Russell Martin. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Newcastle United's 4-0 victory against Ipswich Town on Saturday afternoon at Portman Road ensured that they followed up their qualification for the EFL Cup semi-final with an important three points in the Premier League. 21 December 2024 talksport.com Southampton have confirmed ex-Roma boss Ivan Juric as their new manager to replace Russell Martin. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Nottingham Forest enhanced their Champions League credentials and condemned Brentford to their first home loss of the Premier League season with a 2-0 victory at the Gtech Community Stadium. 21 December 2024 talksport.com Jack Grealish burned some bridges with Aston Villa after taunting the club's fans following their victory over Manchester City. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk A fitting final Premier League match before Christmas Day, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool engage in a battle of the behemoths in North London on Sunday afternoon. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa handed Manchester City a 2-1 defeat on Saturday, adding to the woes of Pep Guardiola's side, who have now endured nine losses in their last 12 matches. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has claimed that his side decided to defeat Manchester City "through domination" on Saturday afternoon. 21 December 2024 talksport.com "This is a crisis." 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid will be bidding to return to winning ways in La Liga when they welcome Sevilla to Bernabeu on Sunday. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid have added Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk to their wishlist for the summer transfer window, according to a report. 21 December 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona will be without the services of Hector Fort for Saturday's La Liga clash against Atletico Madrid, with the defender ruled out of the contest due to a hamstring problem. 21 December 2024 talksport.com It was the nightmare before Christmas for new Coventry City manager Frank Lampard.