Celta Vigo draw Juventus, Marseille and Celtic in Europa League league phase

Celta Vigo have been handed a Europa League league-phase draw featuring a marquee home meeting with Juventus and demanding away trips to Marseille and Celtic as Claudio Giráldez’s side begin another European campaign.

Celta, seeded in Pot 3, will play four matches at Abanca Balaídos against Juventus, Union SG, Bournemouth and Lillestrøm.

Their four away fixtures will take them to Marseille, Celtic, Omonia and Hapoel Be’er Sheva.

Juventus’ visit is the obvious centrepiece of the draw.

The Italian side were seeded in Pot 1 and will provide the highest-profile fixture of Celta’s home programme, giving Balaídos another major European night after the club’s run to the Europa League quarter-finals last season.

That 2025/26 campaign ended against Freiburg, but it also gave Celta experience of navigating the league phase and knockout rounds at this level. They scored 22 goals across the competition before their elimination, underlining how significant Europe became to Giráldez’s side over the course of the season.

The away schedule this time looks particularly demanding.

Marseille represent the strongest individual trip, both in terms of squad quality and the environment Celta can expect in France. Celtic add another high-intensity away fixture, with Glasgow traditionally one of the more difficult European venues for visiting teams.

Omonia and Hapoel Be’er Sheva complete the away programme and offer Celta more manageable opposition on paper, although both trips bring different logistical and competitive challenges.

At home, Union SG should provide another serious test. The Belgian side have become established European opposition in recent seasons, while Bournemouth add Premier League intensity to a fixture Celta will nevertheless play with home advantage.

Lillestrøm complete the Balaídos schedule and, on paper, represent the most favourable of Celta’s four home assignments.

The draw therefore gives Celta a clear route to progression without removing significant risk. Their strongest opportunities should come at home, while trips to Marseille and Glasgow are likely to provide the clearest indication of whether they can push beyond simple qualification and challenge for a top-eight position.

Under the 36-team format, the top eight clubs advance directly to the round of 16, while teams finishing from ninth to 24th must enter an additional two-legged knockout play-off.

For Celta, that distinction matters after last season’s deep run. This is no longer simply about returning to European football; the benchmark has shifted towards sustaining that progress against another varied eight-match schedule.

The league phase begins on September 16 and 17 and concludes on January 28, with UEFA still to confirm the exact order and kick-off times of Celta’s fixtures.