Claudio Giráldez said Celta want to be the first team in LaLiga 2025-26 to beat Barcelona at the reopened Spotify Camp Nou, where the leaders have won everything at home. Speaking before the visit to the Catalan stadium, he framed the trip as a direct test against a side that has turned its ground into a near-perfect fortress.
Barcelona have won all 16 of their home league matches this season, scoring 51 goals and conceding nine, a record built across spells at the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc, the Johan Cruyff and later the reopened Camp Nou. That is the weight behind Sunday’s game: Celta are not just visiting the league leaders, they are walking into the most dominant home record in the division.
Giráldez said his team will need to be flawless defensively and sharp in attack because Barcelona have every offensive tool a team can have. He also pointed to last season, when Celta came close to winning in Barcelona and, in his view, left the match hanging after a 1-3 phase without fully committing forward or locking up at the back. This time, he said, the margins will be thin again.
The backdrop matters too. Celta were eliminated from the Europa League by Freiburg a few days before the press conference, losing 1-6 on aggregate, but they remain sixth in the standings and Giráldez described that position as a privileged one in the chase to repeat in Europe next season. He also noted that Celta have been strong away from home, with seven wins, six draws and just two defeats in 15 league matches, the third-best road record in LaLiga behind Barcelona and Real Madrid.
There is also a practical issue for Celta beyond the standings and the noise around the venue. Giráldez said Carl is not progressing well from injury and is not working with the group yet, while Borja has carried a heavier load after international duty and may need his minutes managed. For a team trying to match Barcelona stride for stride at the league leader’s ground, the details are starting to look as important as the occasion itself.
If Celta are going to leave the Camp Nou with anything, they will have to do what no one else in the league has managed at home this season: make Barcelona look ordinary for one night.
