Girona will look to register back-to-back wins when they hit the road to square up against RCD Mallorca to stay alive in the title race.
17th-placed RCD Mallorca will look to return to winning ways when they host title contenders Girona. The home team are looking to survive relegation, and all three points against one of the best teams of the season could do wonders for them.
Meanwhile, the visitors have presented themselves as surprise contenders for the league title. They have played some exceptional football and are within touching distance of league leaders Real Madrid. They need to ensure they do not drop any more points from here on if they want to have a realistic chance of winning the league.
Mallorca might be 17th, but they have a six-point buffer over the 18th-placed Cadiz. They are level on points with 16th-placed Celta Vigo and have a game in hand. As a result, a win here could help them strengthen their position outside of the drop zone.
They are heading into this one on the back of a massive win against Real Sociedad in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. They might have won on penalties, but making it to the final will surely give them a boost heading into this fixture.
Girona are second in the league table with 59 points out of their 26 matches. They had only lost once in their first 23 games but have since lost twice. While they did bounce back with a 3-0 win over Rayo Vallecano, they are now six points behind Real Madrid.
The visitors cannot afford to drop any more points and are expected to go all out to ensure they come back with all three but the home team will be determined to stop them in their tracks as they look to avoid the drop. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
RCD Mallorca
The home team will be without the services of Pablo Maffeo. But apart from him, they do not have any other fresh injury concerns. They do have a boost as Siebe Van der Heyden and Antonio Raillo are both back after serving their suspension.
RCD Mallorca are unlikely to make any major changes to the XI that started in their last outing against Real Sociedad. They will stick to the 5-3-2 formation, where Predrag Rajkovic will start in goal.
The back three will comprise Jose Manuel Copete, Antonio Raillo and Martin Valjent. They will determined to keep a clean sheet against the best attack in the division. Giovanni Gonzalez and Toni Lato will be the wing-backs. While they will look to ensure the opposition wingers are kept in check, the duo will also provide width to their attacks whenever possible.
In the centre of the park, Antonio Sanchez and Dani Rodriguez will support Samu Costa. Not only will they look to shield the backline, but they will also look to create chances for the attacking duo of Vedat Muriqi and Cyle Larin.
Probable Lineup (5-3-2): Rajkovic; Gonzalez, Valjent, Raillo, Copete, Lato; A Sanchez, S Costa, D Rodriguez; Muriqi, Larin
Girona
Girona will be without the services of Daley Blind, Joel Roca and Toni Villa. They do not have any fresh injury concerns and are unlikely to change the XI that started in their win against Rayo Vallecano last time out.
It will once again be the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Paulo Gazzaniga will be in goal. In the heart of defence, we will see Eric Garcia pair up with David Lopez. Meanwhile, Yan Couto and Miguel Gutierrez will feature as the two full-backs. The duo have been in exceptional form this season and will look to continue in a similar fashion.
Aleix Garcia and Yangel Herrera will form the double pivot in the centre of the park, and they will look to control the tempo of the game. Meanwhile, Portu could be the attacking midfielder. He will look to link up with Savio and Viktor Tsyhankov who will feature out wide on the flanks. They will look to create goalscoring chances and help out Artem Dovbyk who will be leading the line for them.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga; Couto, Eric Garcia, David Lopez, Gutierrez; Herrera, Aleix Garcia; Tsyhankov, Portu, Savio; Dovbyk
Key Stats
- Girona have the best attack in the ongoing season, as they have scored 57 goals in 26 outings.
- RCD Mallorca are the third-lowest-scoring team in the league with 23 goals in 26 outings.
- In the reverse fixture back in September, Girona managed to script a 5-3 win at home.
- RCD Mallorca have already avenged that loss by defeating them in the Copa del Rey 3-2 back in January.
- Girona have the second-best away record this season. They have picked up 27 points from their 13 matches.
Player to Watch
Artem Dovbyk
Dovbyk has become the talk of the town because of his heroics in front of goal in the ongoing season. It has attracted a lot of interest from across Europe.
The 26-year-old Ukrainian striker has featured in 24 league games so far and he already has 19 goal contributions. He has found the back of the net on 14 occasions. It has been an excellent start for him at his new club, and he has played a big part in their pursuit of the league title.
If they want to lift that title at the end of the season, Dovbyk will have to continue in a similar fashion. As a result, all eyes will be on him in this away fixture.
Prediction
RCD Mallorca 1-2 Girona
RCD Mallorca are heading into this fixture high on confidence having made it to the final of the Copa del Rey. Irrespective of their overall form, they are going to make life difficult for Girona. But, given the kind of players the visitors have in their ranks, they might still end up on top here.
Girona play an attacking brand of football and all of their forwards are in exceptional form, and that is why the home team might not be able to stop them. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-1 win for Girona.
