Celta Vigo must react against unbeaten Union Saint-Gilloise in Europa League tie
Celta Vigo face Royale Union SG at the Municipal de Balaídos on Thursday, 5 November 2026, in a Europa League league-phase clash that previews reports describe as decisive for a Celta side still without a point in the competition. Celta have lost to Omonia and Juventus and sit 25th in the Europa League standings, while Union Saint-Gilloise are placed sixth and are one of the teams still unbeaten in Europe.
The Celta vs Union tie comes after a 3-0 defeat at Vallecas, and Claudio Giráldez has urged his side to react. Reports also name Pablo Durán as Celta’s centre-forward for the match against a Saint-Gilloise side without Florucz. Celta’s task is made harder by injuries: five outfield players are sidelined, including Borja Iglesias and Carl Starfelt, and one preview prices Celta at 2.25 for a steep climb.
Celta’s problems and the line-up hint
Celta’s last Europa League results leave them pointless after defeats to Omonia and Juventus, so the home match against Union Saint-Gilloise is not just another league-phase fixture. Giráldez’s reaction demand after the Vallecas setback is explicit, and the reported move to start Pablo Durán centrally is a direct positional choice rather than a vague formation tweak. With Borja Iglesias and Carl Starfelt among the five sidelined outfield players, Celta have to reshape the attacking and defensive units at the same time. Faro de Vigo separately reported the traditional pre-match Magosto held at Balaídos before the Europa League game, a local detail that underlines how much the club and city want a different second half to the season.
Union’s form and the numbers around the game
Union Saint-Gilloise arrive in Vigo as a side still unbeaten in the Europa League group stage and sixth in the standings, a stark contrast to Celta at 25th. One preview identifies the draw or away double chance as the value selection, while Racing Post’s James Milton made Celta Vigo vs Union Saint-Gilloise his best bet for Thursday, 5 November, with a 13-10 selection. Yahoo Sports lists kickoff at the Municipal de Balaídos for 20:00 on TNT Sports. Sports Mole, Sportskeeda and OneFootball all carried previews with team news, possible line-ups, predictions or betting angles for the same fixture.
For Celta vs Union, the immediate task is concrete: replace the Vallecas defeat and two Europa League group-stage losses with points at home. The match begins at 20:00 on TNT Sports, and Celta will be trying to turn a pointless league-phase run into three points at Balaídos.
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