Cypriot side Omonia Nicosia are set to host Spanish club Celta Vigo in their UEFA Europa League group stage opener on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. The match, taking place at the GSP Stadium, kicks off at 12:45 p.m. ET, which corresponds to 5:45 p.m. BST.
Both teams enter the fixture facing challenges, with Omonia having navigated a tough qualification route and Celta Vigo enduring a difficult start to their domestic league campaign.
Omonia’s European Journey and Recent Form
Omonia Nicosia secured their spot in the Europa League group stage after successfully progressing through two qualifying rounds. Their European journey began in Champions League qualifying after winning the Cypriot First Division title last term, though they were eliminated in the second qualifying round by Kazakh champions Kairat Almaty following a penalty shootout. The club then entered Europa League qualifying, achieving a 2-1 aggregate victory over Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar in the third round, followed by a 4-2 aggregate win against Belgian club Sint-Truiden. This marks Omonia’s first appearance in the Europa League main draw since the 2022-23 season, according to Sports Mole.
Despite a strong home record in European matches this term, having won all three, Omonia’s overall competitive form has been mixed. They have won just one of their last four competitive games, drawing two and losing one. In three of these four matches, they failed to score, though they have conceded only twice in that period, including keeping a clean sheet in their recent goalless draw against Apollon in the Cypriot First Division, as reported by Fubo.
Celta Vigo’s La Liga Struggles
Celta Vigo, who finished sixth in La Liga during the 2025-26 season, are competing in the Europa League for the second consecutive season, aiming to surpass last season’s quarter-final exit to Freiburg. However, Claudio Giraldez’s side arrive in Cyprus low on confidence following a winless start to their La Liga campaign.
The Galician outfit has failed to secure a victory in any of their first five La Liga matches, initially taking just one point from their opening three games. They have since recorded three consecutive draws, including a 1-1 home stalemate against newly-promoted Malaga on Sunday. Ferran Jutgla’s first-half goal put Celta ahead, but an 83rd-minute equaliser from Adrian Nino ensured the points were shared. Celta Vigo currently sit 15th in the La Liga standings with four points from six matches and have failed to score more than once in any of their six league outings this term.
Team News and Predicted Lineups
Omonia Nicosia
- Injuries: Left-back Fotis Kitsos and central midfielder Carel Eiting are working on recoveries from knee injuries.
- Key Players: Luuk Brouwers is pushing for his first start after featuring as a half-time substitute recently. Lois Diony, who scored four goals in Europa League qualifying, is expected to lead the line.
- Predicted Lineup (via Sports Mole): Kaminski; Duverne, Satka, Coulibaly, Balkovec; Brouwers, Andreou; Mayambela, Tankovic, Montnor; Diony
Celta Vigo
- Injuries: Celta legend Iago Aspas will miss the trip due to a thigh injury sustained against Malaga. There are also doubts over the availability of Andres Antonon, Aleix Febas, Jones El-Abdellaoui, and Borja Iglesias.
- Potential Changes: Carl Starfelt, Javi Galan, and Williot Swedberg could be considered by manager Claudio Giraldez for changes.
- Predicted Lineup (via Sports Mole): Radu; Caceres, Starfelt, Alonso; Rueda, Roman, Moriba, Galan; Gonzalez, Swedberg, Jutgla
Match Outlook
Celta Vigo will be desperate for their first win of the season, but their struggle to score more than once per game in La Liga could be a concern. Omonia, on the other hand, will look to leverage their strong European home form, although they have a historical disadvantage, having lost all four of their previous Europa League meetings with Spanish opposition. Sports Mole predicts that Celta Vigo may only manage to pick up a point in Cyprus.
