Girona will aim to secure second place in the La Liga table as they host Villarreal at Estadi Montilivi on Tuesday.
Match Preview
The home team currently holds the second spot, two points ahead of Barcelona in third place. Villarreal is in eighth place, trailing Real Betis by four points.
Girona has had an impressive season with 23 wins, six draws, and six defeats from 35 league matches, accumulating 75 points to secure the second position.
Michel’s team leads by two points ahead of Barcelona. However, the standings could change before Girona’s match as Barcelona plays against Real Sociedad on Monday.
Girona earned a spot in the next season’s Champions League by beating Barcelona 4-2 on May 4 but drew 2-2 with Alaves in their recent match.
Despite a draw against Alaves, Girona extended their unbeaten run to four matches, grabbing 10 out of 12 points since their loss to Atletico Madrid.
Girona is having a historic season in their fourth-ever campaign at this level. They aim to outperform Barcelona for the second spot and prepare for the upcoming season.
Villarreal, after a 3-2 win over Sevilla, remain motivated to aim for a European spot in La Liga.
Marcelino’s team sits in eighth place, chasing Real Betis. They have been on a good run and still have a chance to qualify for the Europa League.
Villarreal has won three of their last four league matches and achieved 23 points in their 17 away games this season.
Although Villarreal won three of the last four games against Girona, they lost 2-1 in the previous encounter this season.
Team News & Updates:
Girona will miss Borja Garcia, Cristhian Stuani, Ricard Artero, and Joel Roca against Villarreal.
There may be changes in the starting lineup, with Yan Couto and Aleix Garcia potentially returning.
Ivan Martin will take the number 10 spot while Artem Dovbyk, with 20 league goals, will lead the attack.
Villarreal will welcome back Santi Comesana for the match.
However, injuries will sideline key players like Gerard Moreno, Juan Foyth, Alberto Moreno, Alfonso Pedraza, Denis Suarez, and Yeremy Pino.
Prediction & Analysis:
Our prediction favors a victory for Girona in a high-scoring affair, with over 2.5 goals expected.
Despite Villarreal’s resilience, Girona’s recent momentum and home advantage could tilt the scales in their favor, cementing their quest for a historic finish in La Liga.
- Girona 3-1 Villarreal