Expect Valencia to line up in their usual 4-4-2, with the full-backs pushing high and the wide midfielders tucking in to create a midfield overload. The double pivot will screen the back four, while the two strikers — one dropping deep, one running the channels — will look to stretch Celta's back line. The key battle will be in the middle of the park, where Valencia's energy and pressing could force Celta into the kind of mistakes that have plagued them on the road. Celta, for their part, are expected to stick with their 4-3-3, with the wide forwards looking to isolate Valencia's full-backs in transition. But that leaves gaps in behind, and Valencia's wide men will relish the space to run into.

The game state is likely to be Valencia on the front foot, Celta sitting slightly deeper and looking to hit on the break. That suits Valencia perfectly. They are comfortable with the ball, patient in possession, and have the quality in the final third to unlock a defence that has shown it can be breached. Set pieces could also be a factor — Valencia have the physical presence to cause problems from dead balls, while Celta have looked vulnerable defending them. If Valencia get an early goal, the game could open up exactly the way they want it to.