Girona will try to make it three straight La Liga wins this season when they welcome Espanyol at Estadi Montilivi on Saturday evening. While Girona seeks to climb from their 10th-place standing, Espanyol fights to escape the relegation zone.
Match Preview: Girona vs. Espanyol
Girona’s Quest for Consistency
Coming off a historic third-place finish in La Liga last season, Girona entered the 2024/25 campaign with increased expectations. But despite making their Champions League debut, the Catalan club has struggled to match the highs of last season and currently sits 10th in the La Liga standings with 18 points from 13 matches.
However, recent performances have shown promise. Girona picked up successive victories against Leganes and Getafe prior to the international break. At home, they have also been inconsistent. The team has earned 10 points from six matches, having won three, drawn one, and lost two.
Next week’s Champions League trip to Sturm Graz means that Girona have one eye on that vital game. However, they are still keen to take full points here against an Espanyol team which has lost its last four on the road, leaking 12 goals in the process.
Espanyol’s Fight Against Relegation
Espanyol’s return to La Liga following their promotion last season has been challenging. Sitting 18th in the table with just 10 points from 12 matches, the White and Blues are desperate for a turnaround.
This was their third straight defeat in the league, coming off a 3-1 defeat to Barcelona in their last outing, adding to a poor run that includes defeats to Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla. Even though Espanyol enjoyed a 4-0 Copa del Rey win over San Tirso in October, their poor form in the league continues.
Historically, Espanyol has had mixed success against Girona, with their most recent victory at Estadi Montilivi coming during the 2018-19 season. A positive result this weekend could provide much-needed momentum as they attempt to climb out of the relegation zone.
Form Comparison
Girona La Liga Form: DWLLWW
Girona (All Competitions): LWWWLW
Espanyol La Liga Form: LLWLLL
Espanyol (All Competitions): LWLLWL
Team News and Predicted Lineups
Girona Team Updates
Girona will be without Yangel Herrera, Arnaut Danjuma, Ladislav Krejci, Gabriel Misehouy, Alejandro Frances, Portu, and Ricard Artero due to injury.
Late fitness tests await Abel Ruiz, Yaser Asprilla, Jhon Solis, Viktor Tsygankov, and Ivan Martin. Donny van de Beek is expected to begin as the number 10, with Ferran Ruiz fit into midfield due to the absence of Herrera.
Predicted Girona Starting XI:
Gazzaniga; A. Martinez, Juanpe, Lopez, Blind; Romeu, Ruiz; Gil, Van de Beek, Gutierrez; Miovski
Espanyol Team News
Jose Gragera, Fernando Calero and Edu Exposito are injured and won’t feature for Espanyol. The attack will again be led by Javi Puado, who has scored four La Liga goals this season, with support from Jofre Carreras. On-loan Tottenham attacker Alejo Veliz may be limited to a place on the bench as he searches for form.
Predicted Espanyol Starting XI:
Garcia; El Hilali, Kumbulla, Cabrera, Romero; Tejero, Kral, Bauza, Aguado, Carreras; Puado
Match Prediction
Girona 2-1 Espanyol
Despite their injury worries, the form book and Espanyol’s abysmal away record tilt the scales in favor of the hosts, who should narrowly win the match for a third straight victory.
