Racing Santander vs Celta Vigo

Estadio El Sardinero is the venue as Racing Santander and Celta Vigo battle it out for a place in the Copa del Rey Round of 16.

Racing Santander’s Copa del Rey campaign started with a goal-glutted 4-3 win against Lanzarote but quickly turned into a dramatic rollercoaster. Indeed, they needed the 78th-minute winner to beat Gijon 1-0. Their form has since plunged into chaos, with a 2-2 home draw against Eldense in their last league game in 2024 halting a dreadful run of three consecutive defeats without scoring. Notoriously inconsistent at El Sardinero, Jose Alberto Lopez’s men have alternated between different outcomes in their last seven home matches across all competitions (W3, D3, L2). A low-scoring theme has been the only common denominator, as six of those seven games featured under 2.5 goals. Another uneventful clash could be in store, knowing Santander’s last two home meetings with Celta produced only three goals combined (D1, L1).

However, Celta’s last visit to El Sardinero was back in 2006, making the abovementioned stats virtually irrelevant. What matters is Celta’s rip-roaring Copa del Rey run. Following a 5-1 rout of San Pedro in the opening round, they humbled Salamanca 7-0 last time out to set up this tie. They’ve since won back-to-back home matches in La Liga via an identical 2-0 scoreline but lost 1-0 at Sevilla in their most recent away outing. Celta’s travel sickness has seen them win just one of their last four fixtures on the road (D1, L2). But with three of those four games producing over 3.5 goals, fans at El Sardinero may still have a goal fest on their hands.