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Celta Vigo and Deportivo La Coruña meet this weekend in the 126th Galician derby, but with Depor’s relegation to Segunda Liga confirmed last Sunday with a defeat to champions Barcelona, it may be a while before we see the 127th
European football on the line
As with every derby game, both sides will be gunning for a win. But with Celta still in with a chance of finishing in seventh and securing the final Europa League spot, the potential three points look even more important. For relegated Deportivo, meanwhile, the game will be the last chance to get one over their local rivals for the foreseeable future.
Depor have lost each of the past three meetings and won’t want their losing streak extended to four matches. Celta were impressive in the derby earlier this season, winning 3-1 after racing into a 3-0 lead at Depor’s Riazor stadium.
Depor out to resist Celta’s attacking firepower
The main man for Celta Vigo this season has been Iago Aspas. The local icon has scored 20 goals and provided five assists, meaning he has been directly involved in an impressive 46% of his side’s Liga goals this season. He has, however, been out with a hamstring injury over the past couple of weeks and may not make the matchday squad. If he doesn’t, Celta’s attacking focus will switch to 21-year-old Uruguayan Maxi Gomez, who has scored 15 goals in his debut season in LaLiga Santander. Depor, meanwhile, will look to fight fire with fire with an attacking line featuring Lucas Perez, Adrian Lopez, and Florin Andone.
Two clubs, two cities, two cultures
With both sides considered representatives of their respective cities, the rivalry between the two is fierce. Vigo has a more working-class character with shipbuilding and fishing the main industries; A Coruña is better known for the arts and fashion. Both are, however, proud of their own reputation and cannot stomach the thought of losing to ‘the other side’ when it comes to football.
This fixture has been a regular since 1924 and has produced a number of highly memorable moments over the years, from a 13-0 win for Celta in 1928 to a narrow 1-0 Depor win back in the 1999/2000 season – when the sides occupied the top two spots in LaLiga Santander – which set them on their way to their one and only LaLiga title. Celta are yet to win a league title and will never forget how it was their own coach, Javier Irureta, who jumped ship in 1998 and led Depor to theirs.
A local derby with a global profile
Both Celta Vigo and Deportivo La Coruña are La Liga stalwarts, having spent the 11th and 12th most seasons in the top flight with 52 and 46 respectively. Two well-known and respected clubs such as these always pique the interest of neutrals.
It’s also almost always one of the most entertaining fixtures in the LaLiga calendar. Intense and fast-paced by nature, we are yet to experience a goalless Galician derby this century!
Catch the latest edition of Celta Vigo vs Deportivo La Coruña on May 5, 2018, at 22:00 IST on SONY TEN 2 and SONY TEN 2 HD.
