After two days of the group stage of the Europa League, the Spanish teams RealSociedad and Celta deVigo find themselves in a delicate situation that forces them to rethink their objectives. In the group stage, each club has lost the two matches they have played, leaving them without points in a table of eight games to play. The lack of positive results complicates the task of securing a place in the top eight, an essential condition to advance to the next phase of the tournament.
Celta deVigo came into the match against Juventus hoping to win and consolidate their position in the table. The match ended 1–2 in favor of the Italian, with KoloMuani's goal in injury time sealing the defeat for the Vigo team. The defeat leaves Celta with no points and a negative goal difference, increasing the pressure on the team to avoid relegation to the knockout stage.
For its part, RealSociedad also suffered a defeat, this time against Union Saint-Gilloise of Belgium. The Spanish team seemed on track to get the three points after a dominant performance, but in the final minutes Union managed to tie the score, leaving Real with a lost victory. This defeat also leaves the club without points and with an unfavorable goal difference, making it difficult to climb to the qualification zone.
In the current standings, both teams are at the bottom of the group table, with six games remaining. The goal difference and the lack of points mean that the only way out is to win the next games. The technical directors of both clubs have pointed out the need to improve defense and the ability to close out games to prevent the situation from getting worse.
With the group stage still underway, the future of RealSociedad and Celta deVigo will depend on their performance in the upcoming matches. If they manage to win at least two of their remaining six games, they could stay in the qualifying zone. Otherwise, the pressure will increase and the possibility of being left out of the competition will become more real. Fans and club management are aware that every point will be crucial to avoid relegation to the knockout stage.