Celta vs Freiburg Europa League preview: Where to watch, predicted line-ups, team news

Celta are preparing to host Freiburg in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League quarter-final tie.

Where to watch the game on TV

Fans can find their local UEFA Europa League broadcast partner(s) here.

What you need to know

"Afouteza" is a key element of the Celta lexicon; the Galician word for "courage" is the club's motto, and will be the watchword as Claudio Giráldez's side look to perform a minor miracle in the second leg against Freiburg. They have not won by four goals in a European home fixture since they beat Sigma Olomouc 4-0 in the 2001/02 UEFA Cup first round, but belief can move mountains.

Freiburg know that, and are well aware how one bad night at the office can see even the most comfortable of leads evaporate. "We're now at a level where every mistake is punished, so we'll have to be careful," said forward Vincenzo Grifo. "But we'll also travel to Vigo full of confidence." Team-mate Igor Matanović added: "We don't want to pull back, to hide, to play scaredy cat. We want to be aggressive, we want to be brave and we want to win again."

Possible line-ups

Celta: Radu; Javi Rodríguez, Aidoo, Alonso; Hugo Sotelo, Moriba, Mingueza, Carreira; Aspas, Jutglà, Borja Iglesias

Freiburg: Atubolu; Treu, Ginter, Lienhart, Makengo; Eggestein, Höfler; Beste, Suzuki, Grifo; Matanović

Form guide

Celta

Form: LLWLWD (most recent first)
Latest: Celta 0-3 Real Oviedo, 12/04, Spanish Liga

Freiburg

Form: WWLWWL
Latest: Mainz 0-1 Freiburg, 12/04, German Bundesliga

Views from the camps

Claudio Giráldez, Celta coach: "This is the first time I've reached a quarter-finals match-up, and there's no other way to approach it other than to be happy and convinced we're going to advance. We're going to give everything we've got. We feel the support and encouragement from the fans and the club, the players sense it. It's a historic night and we have to enjoy it."

Matías Vecino, Celta midfielder: "The team have come a long way to reach where are today, and we're eager and convinced that at home, and being the Celta that we all know, we can turn it around. There are many young players having their first experiences in matches of this kind. It's clear it wasn't a good week, but we have many things to hold onto to think that tomorrow is going to be a great day."

Julian Schuster, Freiburg coach: "You've seen before that, with wins like this [first leg], sometimes you lose a bit of focus in the second leg. We have to play with the same sharpness again. We have taken an important first and big step, but nothing more. The key is to hit the reset button after such wins."

Reporter's view

Andrea De Ferrater, match reporter
Celta return to Balaídos aiming for a monumental comeback, following a 3-0 first-leg deficit. Forced to chase the game, the Galician side will look to set a high tempo from kick-off and lean on their attacking firepower to get back into the tie. Meanwhile, Freiburg, led by Julian Schuster, arrive with the advantage and a clear game plan: defensive organisation, control and clinical transitions. A place in the Europa League semi-finals would be historic for both clubs.