Back
3.08.2017Bayer 04

Our next opponents: Celta Vigo

As part of the season launch, Bayer 04 play the final pre-season friendly against Spanish top-flight side Celta Vigo at 14.00 CET. This match is the last before the first competitive game of the season away to Karlsruher SC on 11 August. A really tough test when with as the team from the north-west of Spain achieved one of their biggest successes in the club's history last term. The Celtiñas reached the semi-finals of the Europa League.
Livestream_Bayer04_Celat_Vigo.jpg

They were just one goal away from a sensational appearance in the final in the second leg away to Manchester United. The friendly will be broadcast live on bayer04.de.

There was an impressive return to the European stage for Celta after a break of ten years during which the club just avoided relegation to the third division. By the year 2000, the Galicians were established in the top third of the Primera Division and they qualified six times for the UEFA Cup between 1998 and 2007 and even made it to the Champions League in 2003/2004 where they beat AC Milan and Ajax Amsterdam in the group stage before losing out to Arsenal in the Round of 16.

The former defender Eduardo Berizzo led Celta back to European competition as coach but he resigned after losing in the semi-finals against Manchester United. He went on to join Champions League participants Sevilla. His successor is a familiar face in the Galician seaport: Juan Carlos Unzué was assistant coach to the then Vigo manager Luis Enrique in 2013/2014 and he followed him to Barcelona where he won the treble of league title, domestic cup and Champions League in his first year as assistant coach. After Enrique resigned from the Catalan club, Unzué returned to the 'Little Celts' as head coach and he will now be looking to achieve a higher finish in the Spanish top-flight than last season's thirteenth place.

Aspas on the trail of mega stars

The star of the team is central striker Iago Aspas, who scored 19 goals in La Liga last season to finish fourth behind world stars Messi, Suárez and Ronaldo in the top scorers list. At the age of 29, Aspas who – with the exception of a two-year break at Liverpool and Sevilla – has worn the sky blue Celta shirt since he was eight years old and he also made his debut for Spain last autumn.

German fans will know one member of the Vigo squad in Marcelo Diaz. The midfielder saved Hamburg SV from relegation from the top-flight with a last-minute goal from a free kick in the play-off against Karlsruher SC. And this summer he was in the Chile side alongside Charles Aránguiz that reached the final of the Confederations Cup, which ended in defeat against a Germany team including Bernd Leno, Benjamin Henrichs and Julian Brandt.

The whole Werkself squad, including the coaches, will be available to sign autographs after the match. The opening competitive game in the first round of the DFB Cup against Karlsruher SC follows on Friday 11 August.


Related News

Edmond Tapsoba, Jonas Hofmann und Co. nach Abpfiff
Bundesliga - 26.10.2026

Werkself review: ‘It wasn’t our best day’

It has been a long time since feeling what it’s like to come away empty-handed. The last – and so far only – defeat of the season, in Elversberg, was two months ago. Since then, Bayer 04 have followed that up with seven wins and a draw. Now it has happened again away to TSG Hoffenheim. As the match progressed, the Werkself grew in confidence and “could even have scored the opening goal”, as Robert Andrich said after the game. In the end, it was the side from Sinsheim who sealed a 3–0 victory after “hectic closing stages” (kicker). The Werkself review.

Show more
Women: TV-highlights of 0-2 loss at Nürnberg | 8th matchday
Werkself-TV - 25.10.2026

Women: TV-highlights of 0-2 loss at Nürnberg

Werkself-TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04 Women's 0-2 loss at 1. FC Nürnberg on Matchday 8 of the 2026/27 Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga.

Show more
TV highlights of 0-3 loss at TSG Hoffenheim | 7th matchday
Werkself-TV - 25.10.2026

TV highlights of 0-3 loss at TSG Hoffenheim

Werkself TV shows the highlights of Bayer 04's 0-3 loss at TSG Hoffenheim on Matchday 7 of the 2026/27 Bundesliga season...

Show more
Loreen Bender am Boden
Women - 25.10.2026

Setback in Nuremberg: Bayer 04 women suffer first away defeat

After nine points from their first three away matches of the 2026/27 season, the Bayer 04 Women suffered their first away defeat on Sunday afternoon. The 2-0 defeat away to FC Nürnberg, who were winless before today, represented a setback for coach Roberto Pätzold’s team in the race for the top spots in the Google Pixel Women’s Bundesliga. Fany Pronietz scored both goals (62’, 85’) for the home side.

Show more