Celta Vigo v Juventus: goalless first half tipped at 2.73 in Europa League

Celta Vigo host Juventus on 15 October at 19:00 GMT, with both sides seeking a stronger European performance. The Spanish club are aiming to recover from a difficult start to their Europa League campaign, while Juventus will look to build on their opening victory and improve their recent consistency.

Cameroonian sports betting journalist and analyst Arthur Wandji has backed a 0-0 half-time score at odds of 2.73.

Celta Vigo’s uneven attacking form

Celta Vigo drew 0-0 with Elche on 11 October, extending an inconsistent sequence that also includes a 1-0 Europa League defeat by Omonia Nicosia and a 5-0 victory over Racing Santander.

Claudio Giraldez’s side will need to turn possession into clear chances against a Juventus defence described as generally solid. Pablo Duran is one of the players to watch, particularly because of his ability to make an impact after the interval.

Celta will be without Carl Starfelt, Miguel Roman and Jones El-Abdellaoui, who are expected to miss the game because of thigh, right-knee and left-knee injuries respectively.

Juventus face selection concerns

Juventus began their European campaign with a 5-0 win over NEC Nijmegen, but their domestic form has been less convincing. They have lost 3-2 to Sassuolo and drawn 1-1 with Cagliari, although the latter match saw Randal Kolo Muani score again.

Luciano Spalletti’s options are restricted by the reported absences of Kenan Yıldız, Manuel Locatelli, Khephren Thuram, Jeremie Boga and Jeff Ekhator. Lloyd Kelly is also listed as suspended by Flashscore’s match information, although other media reports suggest he could be available. His status will require final confirmation before kick-off.

The clubs previously met in the UEFA Cup during the 1999-2000 season. Juventus won the first leg 1-0, but Celta Vigo overturned the tie with a 4-0 home victory in the return match. That result underlines the hosts’ potential at Balaidos, although it is not considered a decisive guide to this fixture.

Recent form is listed as Celta Vigo: draw, win, loss, draw, draw; Juventus: draw, loss, win, win, loss.

Betting angles

Six of Celta Vigo’s last seven matches have featured fewer than 2.5 goals, while the club have scored in each of their last seven home Europa League games since the start of last season. Neither team scored in the two previous meetings between the sides.

Juventus have found the net in 10 of their last 11 away matches and have conceded only once before the 60th minute this season.

The recommended options include under 2.5 goals at 1.81, both teams to score at 1.81, Juventus to score at least once at 1.23, and more goals in the second half than the first at 2.14.

Wandji’s additional selections are Celta Vigo to take fewer than 2.5 corners in the first half at 1.39 and Randal Kolo Muani to score at 3.00. The striker has scored his last two goals after half-time, while Pablo Duran is also regarded as more influential after the hour mark.

The forecast is for a cautious opening, with the possibility of greater space after the break. Betting odds may change.