Celta Vigo host Alaves at Municipal de Balaídos on October 18 in Regular Season - 9 of La Liga, with kickoff at 14:15 UTC. Matchday 9 is an early point in the campaign, but the table already gives the fixture some weight. Celta Vigo are ninth and Alaves seventh, so the visitors sit two places higher, and a result could change the order of the mid-to-upper table.

The most relevant factor is recent league form. Celta Vigo were unbeaten in the three La Liga matches in their recent record: a 1-1 draw with Malaga on September 13, a 5-0 home win over Racing Santander on September 19 and a 0-0 draw at Elche on October 11. Alaves have gone the other way. They lost 2-1 at Racing Santander on September 12, lost 1-0 at home to Valencia on September 15, drew 0-0 at Athletic Club on September 19 and lost 2-1 at home to Atletico Madrid on October 10. Their only win in that five-match run was a 5-2 home victory over Osasuna on September 6.

Schedule is the secondary factor. Celta Vigo played a UEFA Europa League league-stage match on October 15, losing 1-2 at home to Juventus, so they come into this fixture with European commitments alongside the league programme. Alaves' recent record shows only league matches, so they have had no European fixture to balance.

The head-to-head record also matters. Celta Vigo have won six of the last ten meetings, Alaves two, with two draws. Alaves won the most recent one 4-3 on March 22, 2026.

Neither side has any reported unavailable players, so Claudio Giráldez and Quique Sanchez Flores should both have their full