West Ham and Celta de Vigo played their last friendly on Saturday before the beginning of their respective seasons. The Betway Cup was on the line and West Ham won it over Celta in a penalty shootout after a tight and fair 2-2 draw during the 90 minutes of the game.
The London Stadium was witness to a game in which Julen Lopetegui’s hand in the team is starting to show. West Ham enjoyed possession during different phases of the game, while Celta de Vigo relied on quick transitions to create chances.
West Ham, Celta Vigo: Improvements made
The Hammers found good news in Mohammed Kudus’ performance. The Ghanaian was a constant threat for Celta’s defenders until he was taken off in the 88th minute. Lucas Paquetá was another highlight for West Ham, managing to show his technical ability by flicking the ball over the Spanish defense, allowing Jarred Bowen to score the first goal of the day. The Brazilian also scored the second goal for the London team.
Celta de Vigo showed its capacity to be competitive even while being under pressure from the Hammers. Celta’s two goals came from poorly deflected balls that Mihailo Ristić and Pablo Durán managed to get past the keeper.
In the penalty shootout, West Ham would score six goals while Celta de Vigo only scored five of their shots.
Are the Hammers and Celta ready for the new season?
West Ham finished in ninth position last season and they are in a period of transition after Julen Lopetegui took over David Moyes as the manager. In an obvious contrast of styles, Lopetegui is the type of coach who prefers to dictate the rhythm of the game through possession. Glimpses of that were seen in the Betway Cup, but it will take a longer process to acclimate the players to this particular football model.
Celta de Vigo also faces a new era. Rafa Benítez was appointed for the club’s 100th anniversary but didn’t manage to make his players reach their full potential. They finished 13th during the 23/24 season.
Claudio Giráldez, who went through the ranks at Celta de Vigo, was chosen as the head coach in March. He will be delighted to see that the academy players did a great job against West Ham. They gave the team the energy they were lacking during the second half. The main problem is that their fragility in defense still carries on from last season and so far, it doesn’t look like there is an easy fix for that.
Update on Celta de Vigo’s American player, Lucas de La Torre
Lucas de la Torre didn’t play the game against West Ham and seems to be on the market for a move elsewhere. So far, no rumors have popped up for the 26-year-old American midfielder, who already knows what it’s like to play for the national team.
Photos: Alvaro Solorzano
