Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 4/7
Bookmaker: Unibet
Girona will welcome Real Madrid to the Estadi Montilivi on Tuesday evening for a match within round 31 of the 2022/23 La Liga season. It’s obviously a game between two teams of different levels of quality, though both will be motivated to do the best they can.
Girona
Sitting 11th the Spanish top flight with 38 points at the moment, Girona won’t be too worried about survival. Though the lower half of the table looks pretty congested and 18th-place Valencia are only eight points away with as many rounds to be played, it’s not realistic to expect Michel’s team to come into any danger late in the campaign. It’s also unrealistic to expect them to rise sufficiently to trouble the top six and fight for Europe.
Therefore, the home team will enter this clash with no pressure whatsoever, especially as not beating the reigning European champions cannot be considered failure, and it could actually work in their favour. Beating a team like Real Madrid would surely represent a feat worth achieving on its own, regardless of the points on offer, but it’s obviously easier said than done.
Girona’s recent form hasn’t been too bad, though it certainly could’ve been better. In a manner of a proper mid-table side, they won two, drew two and lost two matches of their last six. The list begins with a 0-1 home defeat to Atletico Madrid, followed by a 2-2 draw away to Rayo Vallecano. Then came a 2-1 win at home over Espanyol, a goalless draw away to league leaders Barcelona, and a 2-0 home win over nailed-on-the-bottom Elche, and eventually a 1-0 defeat away to Valladolid.
Team News
Michel has a number of injury problems to work around when he selects his team for the Real clash.
Midfielders Borja Garcia, Yangel Herrera and Ibrahima Kepe, as well as defender David Lopez, remain unavailable, and they’re joined on the sidelines by winger Toni Villa and midfielder Aleix Garcia, who were forced off against Valladolid.
On the other hand, defender Santiago Bueno and forward Valentin Castellanos are back in contention, having missed the previous game through suspension.
With Paulo Gazzaniga in goal, Bernardo Espinoza is expected to pair up with Juanpe in the heart of defence again, with Javi Hernandez on their left and Arnau Martinez on their right. Oriol Romeu should be the last midfielder, providing protection to the back line, with Ivan Martin, Rodrigo Riquelme and Viktor Tsygankov also in the middle of the park. Veteran Cristhian Stuani should pair up with Castellanos upfront.
Real Madrid
The title race is probably over already for Real, with arch-rivals Barcelona now 11 points ahead, though they are alive and kicking in the remaining two competitions. Having thrashed the Catalans at the Camp Nou to reach the Copa del Rey final, they’ve also beaten Chelsea for a place in the semifinals of the Champions League.
Nonetheless, Los Blancos will likely seek to stay mathematically in with a chance to defend their throne in Spain, and nothing but a victory in Girona will satisfy head coach Carlo Ancelotti. After all, third-place city rivals Atletico Madrid are only five points behind.
Real’s last six matches in all competitions include that 0-4 cup win away to Barcelona, a relatively surprising 2-3 home defeat to Villarreal, a 2-0 home victory in the first leg against Chelsea, a 0-2 win away to Cadiz followed by another one by that scoreline against Chelsea in London, and eventually a 2-0 home win over Celta Vigo, in which Marco Asensio and Eder Militao scored either side of the halftime break.
Much has been said in the press recently about Real Madrid’s pursuit of Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham as they seek to rejuvenate their midfield and prepare for the eventual departures of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. Apparently, the 14-time European champions are the favourites for the signature of the 19-year-old sensation ahead of Premier League champions and their next Champions League opponents Manchester City. Liverpool, who were reportedly the preferred destination for Bellingham, appear to have withdrawn their interest for the time being.
Team News
Like Michel, Ancelotti has notable injury absentees to manage without on Tuesday. Striker Karim Benzema has a minor muscle problem and won’t be risked here. Defenders Ferland Mendy and David Alaba are injured too, as is winger Eden Hazard. Midfielder Dani Ceballos is unavailable through yellow-card suspension.
Thibaut Courtois will be in goal, with Dani Carvajal, Militao, Antonio Rudiger and Nacho likely to form the back line. Federico Valverde, Kroos and Modric are expected to start in midfield, with Asensio, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior forming a very fluid attacking line.
Conclusion
Real have been known to drop points unexpectedly this season, but that probably won’t be the case against Girona.
Verdict: Away win
Best odds: 4/7
Bookmaker: Unibet
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