I expect a quiet, tight game at El Molinon. Gijon are short of midfield creators and have scored only once in four home games, while Celta B are hard to break down away and have six players out. The home side's job is to find a goal against a reserve team that sits in and counters, and that is not an easy script to turn into a high-scoring afternoon.
Gijon's home results this season tell the story: 0-0 with Sabadell, 1-0 over Burgos, then 0-2 against Girona and 0-1 against Eldense. They created chances in the last two, but nothing went in. Now they are without Rubio, de la Fuente, Ferrari, Nacho Martin and Otero through injury, and Gelabert is suspended after his red card in the derby at Oviedo. Loum is a doubt too.
Their coach spoke about needing to be more vertical, more orderly and more ruthless, which sounds like a team still working out how to finish games rather than one about to open them up.
Celta B's away record points the same way: 0-0 at Cadiz, 2-0 at Ceuta and 0-2 at Almeria, so no away game of theirs has gone past two goals. The local preview I read says only two of the eleven goals they have conceded came on the road, and that they counter well with Alvaro Martin. Six of their own players are out, including forward Bernard Somuah, so the counter threat looks thinner than usual.
The market sees it differently and leans toward goals because Gijon will have the ball and Celta B leaked heavily at home. I am not buying that for this particular matchup.
