Between two fiery clashes: why will the Barcelona v Celta Vigo match be held on 5 December?

 Barcelona, who top the league by three points from Real Madrid and five from Atletico Madrid, host Celta Vigo.

 Kick-off is Saturday 5 December at the Camp Nou (9:00pm Central European Time).

According to the newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", that was the only possible date for the Catalans and the Galicians to meet, with too little room between Barcelona's clash with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday 2 December and the Champions League trip to Manchester City on Tuesday 8 December.

Elsewhere in the same round, Athletic Bilbao face Real Madrid on Sunday 6 December at San Mames. Madrid come in off a trip to the Anoeta (Real Sociedad) on Wednesday 2 December, then travel to Arsenal on Wednesday 9 December in the Champions League.

Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, host Real Betis on Sunday 6 December in an eagerly awaited tie at the Wanda Metropolitano, before Diego Simeone's side travel to Stuttgart on Wednesday 9 December

in the Champions League. Manuel Pellegrini's Real Betis take on Como and their man Cesc Fabregas at La Cartuja the same day.

The international break: Barcelona's nightmare

This international break has been anything but comfortable for Barcelona. Hansi Flick had hoped to rest some of his key men ahead of a hectic end to the year. Instead, the German now has two fresh problems on his hands.

The first, according to the website "Foot Mercato", concerns Frenkie de Jong. Back from a long absence after the knee injury he suffered at the World Cup, the Dutch midfielder had to leave the national team camp.

Xavi Hernandez, the Netherlands coach, spoke only of back pain after the win over Greece. The Dutch federation then confirmed their player would not travel to Berlin for Monday's meeting with Germany. According to the newspaper "AS", the real issue is thigh pain.

Uncertainty hangs over Barcelona. The newspaper "Sport" reports that De Jong will be assessed next Monday by the Catalan club's medical staff, who will then decide whether further tests are needed.

De Jong to miss the Villarreal match

One thing is clear already: the Dutchman will rest this week, and taking any part in the game against Villarreal at the Camp Nou looks all but impossible.

A knock in such a sensitive area has Barcelona treading carefully. The former Ajax man has only just come back from injury, and Flick plainly has no intention of gambling with his midfielder.

Barcelona do not understand Brazil's decision

Raphinha's situation, meanwhile, is stirring tension in Catalonia. Sent off alongside Carlo Ancelotti during Brazil's 3-2 defeat to Japan after fierce protests over Japan's late goal, the Barcelona forward picks up an automatic ban for Brazil's second friendly, against Singapore on Tuesday.

 Barcelona would happily see their man back early to prepare properly for the restart. The Brazilian Football Federation had other ideas.

Rodrigo Caetano, general executive coordinator of Brazil's men's national teams, explained: "Raphinha will stay. In principle, he will stay with us... His departure would not make sense, as he is one of our leaders".

Written byAbobakr El Mokadem

Senior Editor

An Egyptian journalist since 2006. I initially specialized in covering local football, but over the years my interest expanded to global football, particularly the top five European leagues, with a special focus on La Liga and the Premier League.

Throughout these years, I combined field reporting with analytical work, and I became deeply involved in international football starting in 2017, when I joined Kooora.

At Kooora, I worked as a news editor, match analyst, translator, voice-over commentator, and video report producer, in addition to writing reports and articles, developing coverage plans for major events and key matches, and participating in their execution.

My passion for football began in 1990, during Egypt’s celebrations of qualifying for the Italy World Cup after a 56-year absence. I vividly remember the Egypt vs Netherlands match and Magdy Abdelghani’s historic equalizer.

On the global level, I became attached to Real Madrid at the start of the new millennium, following the great stars who wore its shirt, especially Zinedine Zidane, and later my favorite player Cristiano Ronaldo.

There are many unforgettable moments, but I would highlight Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer to Real Madrid in 2009 as the most important, as my favorite player joined the club I support in Europe.

Currently, I specialize in desk editing, translating international news and reports, proposing coverage ideas, and writing SEO-optimized content.

My all-time favorite lineup includes Gianluigi Buffon in goal; Cafu, Franz Beckenbauer, Paolo Maldini, and Roberto Carlos in defense; Zinedine Zidane, Andrés Iniesta, Diego Maradona, and Pelé in midfield; and in attack Ronaldo Nazário, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Among the reports and analyses I published on Kooora:

– After Deco and Scaloni’s statements… Is Messi’s era over?

– A golden hour gives Real Madrid hope to overcome Barcelona

– Kooora Report: Unsung heroes who shaped the greatness of the Champions League

– Kooora Story: Real Madrid defeats “itself” and wins a historic title

You can follow me on my social media accounts via the following links:

View Author Profile