Getafe vs Celta Vigo preview - Torres wary of Celta threat

Posted Saturday, February 16, 2013 by PA

Getafe defender Miguel Torres has warned his side against taking relegation-fighting Celta Vigo for granted when they host the Galician side.

Celta are 18th in the Primera Division table at the moment, two points from moving out of the relegation zone.

By contrast, Getafe are nine points clear of their opponents and have no immediate relegation concerns, but Torres says that is no reason to expect an easy game.

"Despite the fact that Celta are not in the best league position, they are a team that play very good football and their coach and staff impose very good ideas on their players," he told reporters on Friday.

Torres also called Paco Herrera's side "brave" and was certain that, despite their current league position, "they won't finish the season in the drop zone".

Torres admitted that the game was not as important for the Madrid side as it was for Celta in terms of how it will affect their league position, but said it would be crucial for the team to regain some dignity after their humiliating 6-1 defeat to Barcelona last weekend.

"We're not treating the game like a final, because there is still a long way to go in the season, but the game is important for what it means after the painful defeat to Barcelona, which really stung the team and the players personally," he said.

Getafe will welcome back first-choice goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya and defender Rafa Gomez, who were both suspended for the Barcelona game, plus midfielder Xavi Torres, who has recovered from muscle soreness.

However, Juan Valera, Mane, Juan Rodriguez and Angel Lafita have all failed to recover from injury in time for the game with Celta.

Celta coach Herrera has stressed that his team need to get back into the habit of scoring goals, while maintaining their strong defensive record.

Celta have conceded just 11 goals in their past 12 games but have had trouble finding the net in recent weeks.

"We are getting better, but we still need to go out to do more, we have to be the same attacking team we were earlier in the season, one that created a lot of chances," he told a press conference.

"We have to deserve to win matches, so we can take all the points."

He also emphasised that his team must aim to keep more clean sheets, and take more care when dealing with crosses, after they conceded a last-minute winner last weekend at home to Valencia, with Nelson Valdes heading in a cross from Joao Pereira.

"We've conceded a goal in every game, that's been our weakness," he said.

"We have been conceding goals in the same way, from crosses by the opposing full-back.