League leaders Girona are all set to host Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid, who will be eager to reclaim the top spot in La Liga.
Girona have surprised one and all with the kind of start they have made to the new season, but they now have a tough task at their hands of squaring up against one of the giants of Spanish football, Real Madrid. Los Blancos managed to return to winning ways in their last outing and will look to claim the top spot with a win over the home team.
Míchel’s team are unbeaten in the league and have managed to accumulate 19 points in their seven outings. They are sitting at the top of the table but are being closely followed by Real Madrid and Barcelona. The Catalan outfit have been sensational going forward and have the joint-best attack in the league, with 18 goals to their name.
Girona are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 win over Villarreal. They went behind early in the second half but managed to come back from behind to claim all three points. The home team will be confident of putting up a great fight against one of the strongest teams in La Liga.
Real Madrid had a perfect start to the new season until they squared up against city rivals Atletico Madrid. Los Blancos suffered at the hands of Diego Simeone’s men and ended up losing the game 3-1. They did manage to bounce back and return to winning ways in their last outing against Las Palmas.
Carlo Ancelotti’s team will look to build on their 2-0 win in their last outing when they hit the road to face the league leaders. They are currently second on the points table behind Girona with 18 points to their name and a win will help them reclaim the top spot.
This top-of-the-table clash promises to be a high-voltage fixture between two teams who have started the 2023-24 season in fine fashion. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Girona
Michel will be without the services of five first-team players. Bernardo Espinosa, Borja Garcia, Joel Roca, Ricard Artero and Toni Villa are all unavailable.
👀 Hi ha algú que té moltes ganes de #GironaRealMadrid ❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/LBfgB7helZ
— Girona FC (@GironaFC) September 29, 2023
The home team will continue with the 4-5-1 formation, and Michel might not make any changes to the XI that squared up against Villarreal. Paulo Gazzaniga will start in goal.
Arnau Martinez and Miguel Gutierrez will start out wide as the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Eric Garcia will pair up with David Lopez. The backline will have a tough task of keeping a star-studded Real Madrid attack quiet.
Viktor Tsyhankov and Real Madrid-linked Savinho will start on the flanks in the centre of the park. They will provide width to their attacks and will also look to help out their full-backs. Meanwhile, Ivan Martin, Aleix Garcia and Yangel Herrera will start in more central roles in the centre of the park.
They will try their best to not allow the Real Madrid midfield to dominate the proceedings. Artem Dovbyk, who found the back of the net in their last outing, will start up top as their number nine.
Probable Lineup (4-5-1): Gazzaniga; Arnau Martinez, Eric Garcia, David Lopez, Gutierrez; Tsygankov, Herrera, Aleix Garcia, Martin, Savio; Dovbyk
Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti has a few fresh injury concerns as David Alaba was subbed off in their last outing after picking up a thigh problem. He is unlikely to be available for this outing. Meanwhile, Antonio Rudiger also picked up a knock but he is expected to be back in time for this outing.
Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois and Arda Guler are still unavailable. Vinicius Junior and Dani Carvajal returned to the mix in their last outing and will start this fixture.
📋✅ Our squad for the match 🆚 @GironaFC_Engl!#GironaRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/bwbIta6XoC
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 29, 2023
Carlo Ancelotti will continue with the 4-4-2 formation with a diamond in the centre of the park. Kepa Arrizabalaga will continue in goal. Carvajal will be the right-back, while Fran Garcia will make a comeback to the XI to start as the left-sided full-back. Nacho will shift into a more central role in the absence of Alaba and will pair up with Rudiger.
In the centre of the park, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are unlikely to feature from the start. Aurelien Tchouameni will be the defensive midfielder and he will have the support of Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde on either flank. Jude Bellingham will return to the XI and take his place as an attacking midfielder behind the Brazilian duo of Vinicius and Rodrygo.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Kepa; Carvajal, Rudiger, Nacho, Fran Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius
Key Stats
- Girona have the best attack in the league as they have scored a total of 18 goals in their seven games.
- Real Madrid have the second-best defence in the league having conceded six goals so far.
- The home team have taken a total of 75 shots in their seven outings while the visitors have taken a total of 122 shots on goal.
- Jude Bellingham is the league’s top scorer with five goals to his name.
- Girona and Barcelona are the only two unbeaten teams in the league.
Player to Watch
Vinicius Junior
Vinicius Junior has returned from injury. He came off the bench in their last outing against Las Palmas and is expected to start in this away game. Los Blancos have not found it easy to score goals this season, as they have relied on Jude Bellingham for the majority of their goals. So, the Brazilian’s return will be a big boost for the team.
The 23-year-old winger had found the back of the net once in four outings before getting injured, and he will be eager to add to his tally when he takes the field against league leaders Girona. Given the quality of the player, it won’t come as a surprise if he ends up deciding the result of this fixture.
Prediction
Girona 1-3 Real Madrid
Girona are in sensational form in the new season. They have certainly punched above their weight to remain unbeaten and at the top of the table after seven games in the new season. While their recent form suggests that they could claim all three points against Los Blancos, this is their first real test in the new season. And, they might find it difficult against the team in white.
The return of Vinicius will make Real Madrid a lot more threatening going forward, and Girona might not have an answer to the questions Carlo Ancelotti’s men will ask. As a result, The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the visitors.
