RC Celta de Vigo secured a narrow 2-1 victory against Deportivo Alavés in La Liga on Sunday, 18 October 2026. The fixture at Balaídos witnessed a clinical display from the hosts who made the most of their limited opportunities. It was an eventful afternoon of Spanish top-flight football that ultimately shifted the landscape of the lower and middle regions of the league table.
Entering this fixture, the hosts sat down in twelfth place in the La Liga standings after eight matches played. Their early season record stood at one win, five draws, and two defeats, yielding eight points. Celta Vigo had scored eight goals while conceding six at the defensive end prior to kick-off. Their recent form presented a mixed picture across various fixtures.
Conversely, Deportivo Alavés arrived at Balaídos occupying seventh position in the table after playing eight matches. They had registered three wins, two draws, and three defeats, accumulating eleven points overall. Alavés boasted a goal difference of twelve scored and eight conceded. Their recent sequence of results had proved challenging ahead of this Sunday encounter.
The first half unfolded with considerable caution and defensive discipline from both sides. Neither team managed to break the deadlock during the opening exchanges of the contest. The primary notable incident of the first period arrived in the fifteenth minute when a Celta Vigo player received a yellow card. Discipline remained a focal point as the half progressed toward its conclusion.
Just as the first half approached its interval, the referee reached into his pocket once more. A Deportivo Alavés player was shown a yellow card in the forty-fifth minute. That late caution brought an otherwise quiet half of football to an end. Both managers headed down the tunnel with the scoreline remaining level at zero-zero.
The second period exploded into action shortly after the restart, completely altering the complexion of the match. Celta Vigo stepped up their attacking intent and soon found the opening breakthrough. The home supporters were sent into celebrations as the first goal of the afternoon was registered. Alavés suddenly found themselves chasing the game away from home.
The momentum remained with the hosts as they doubled their advantage entering the final twenty minutes of regulation time. Deportivo Alavés struggled to contain the wave of pressure during this specific phase. Even though Alavés mounted a late response, the two-goal deficit proved a steep hill to climb. The match concluded with a tense final few minutes following a late strike from the visitors.
The scoring sequence opened in the fifty-third minute when an unnamed Celta Vigo player broke the deadlock. The official match data records that Ferran Jutglà scored for Celta Vigo with a left-footed shot from the centre of the box. That inaugural strike made the score Celta Vigo one, Alaves zero. It immediately forced the visiting team to alter their tactical approach.
The second goal arrived in the seventy-first minute to extend the home team's advantage further. Javi Rodríguez scored for Celta Vigo with a right-footed shot from the right side of the box. This second conversion brought the scoreline to Celta Vigo two, Alaves zero. It put the hosts in a commanding position as the match entered its closing stages.
Deportivo Alavés refused to surrender and pulled a goal back in the eighty-seventh minute. Hugo Novoa scored for Alaves with a left-footed shot from the right side of the box into the net. That late response reduced the arrears to make it Celta Vigo two, Alaves one. However, the visitors ran out of time to find an equalising goal before the final whistle.
A closer look at the match statistics reveals a fascinating narrative regarding the run of play. Possession was closely contested throughout the ninety minutes, with RC Celta de Vigo recording forty-eight percent. Deportivo Alavés edged the ball-retention battle slightly by finishing with fifty-two percent possession. Despite controlling the ball for longer periods, the visitors could not translate that dominance into a positive result.
The shot counts further illustrate how the flow of the game differed from the final scoreline. RC Celta de Vigo managed a mere six shots across the entire match duration. In stark contrast, Deportivo Alavés launched twenty shots toward the home team's goal. Yet, efficiency proved to be the decisive factor at Balaídos on Sunday.
When examining accuracy, Celta Vigo managed three shots on target and successfully converted two of them. Deportivo Alavés hit the target nine times from their twenty attempts but only beat the goalkeeper once. The visitors also earned four corner kicks, whereas Celta Vigo failed to win a single corner. Passing metrics and wider statistics underlined Alavés' attacking volume, though it counted for little where it mattered most.
Discipline played a steady role as the referee kept a close watch on proceedings. RC Celta de Vigo accumulated fourteen fouls over the course of the ninety minutes. Deportivo Alavés were slightly more penalised, conceding seventeen fouls in total. The foul counts reflected a fiercely contested fixture in which neither side gave an inch in midfield duels.
The referee's notebook featured two cautions during the encounter. A Celta Vigo player was booked in the fifteenth minute, followed by an Alavés player receiving a yellow card in the forty-fifth minute. Beyond these two cautions, no further disciplinary action was recorded by the match officials. The offside count showed Celta Vigo caught zero times, while Alavés fell into the trap on three occasions.
Reflecting on what this result means for the league table, RC Celta de Vigo rise to twelfth place. They now sit on eight points after eight matches, having secured their first victory of the campaign alongside five draws and two defeats. Their goal statistics now read nine goals scored and seven conceded. This home win provides a much-needed morale boost for their league aspirations.
For Deportivo Alavés, the defeat leaves them holding firm in seventh place in the standings. They retain eleven points from their eight games played, maintaining a record of three wins, two draws, and three defeats. Their goal tally moves to thirteen scored and nine conceded following this narrow loss. Alavés will look to bounce back swiftly to secure their position in the upper half of the table.
Examining recent form highlights the contrasting trajectories of both clubs leading into this weekend. RC Celta de Vigo's previous results included a one-two defeat against Juventus FC, a scoreless draw against Elche CF, and a resounding five-nil victory over Real Racing Club de Santander. They also recorded a zero-one loss to Omonia Nicosia and a one-one draw against Málaga CF. That sequence gave them a mixed form guide of a draw, a win, a draw, a loss, and a draw before facing Alavés.
Deportivo Alavés arrived at Balaídos following a testing run of fixtures in all competitions. Their previous results featured a one-two defeat against Club Atlético de Madrid and a scoreless draw against Athletic Club. Prior to that, they suffered a zero-one loss to Valencia CF and a one-two defeat against Real Racing Club de Santander, which was preceded by a five-two win over CA Osasuna. Their form sequence before this match read loss, loss, loss, draw, and win.
Reviewing previous meetings adds historical context to this La Liga fixture. The most recent encounter between these two sides took place on 22 March 2026. On that occasion, RC Celta de Vigo suffered a three-four defeat against Deportivo Alavés in a high-scoring thriller. Sunday's result therefore represents a measure of revenge for Celta Vigo, who turned the tables by securing a narrow home win this time around.
Both teams will now turn their attention to the upcoming fixtures on their respective schedules. Celta Vigo will attempt to use the momentum from this victory to climb further up the La Liga standings. Deportivo Alavés, meanwhile, will seek to rectify their defensive lapses and return to winning ways in their next outing. Fans of both clubs can anticipate more competitive action as the Spanish top-flight season progresses.
