La Liga contenders Girona will look to return to winning ways when they host tenth-placed Osasuna, who have been unbeaten in their last four outings.
Girona might be seven points behind league leaders Real Madrid, but they still have a chance of turning things around and winning the league heading into the game against Osasuna. But, they will have to kick things off with a win this weekend, with the visitors having had a decent campaign so far.
Things have not been that great for Girona of late. They have lost three of their last four league outings. And, just when Real Madrid have been dropping points, the second-placed team have failed to capitalise on the opportunities that have come their way.
With 59 points in their 27 outings, they are still in the mix but need to put together a run of great results to give Real Madrid a fight for their money. They are heading into this fixture on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Mallorca and need to put up a much-improved performance here to stand a chance of winning.
Meanwhile, Osasuna have been doing just fine. They are currently tenth on the points table with 36 points out of their 27 matches. While they have lost as many as 11 games, their ten wins and six draws see them sit mid-table comfortably. Their recent form has been quite promising as they have won three out of their last four games.
The visitors are heading into this one on the back of a 1-0 win over Alaves. They were the dominant team and they got the result they wanted. A similar performance will surely give them a chance to challenge Girona. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Girona
The title challengers will be without the services of as many as five first-team players because of injuries. Yangel Herrera, David Lopez, Ricard Artero, Joel Roca and Toni Villa are all unavailable. Meanwhile, they do have a boost as Daley Blind is all set to return to the mix. The home team will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Paulo Gazzaniga will be in goal.
In the heart of defence, Eric Garcia will pair up with Daley Blind. The duo will look for a clean sheet, and they will have the support of full-backs, Yan Couto and Miguel Gutierrez. Aleix Garcia and Ivan Martin will form the double pivot in the centre of the park. They will look to control the tempo of the game and ensure they have the majority of the ball possession.
Savio and Viktor Tsyhankov will feature on the flanks. They will provide width to their attacks and will look to link up with Portu who will feature as the attacking midfielder. The highly sought-after Artem Dovbyk will be leading the line for Girona.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga; Couto, Eric Garcia, Blind, Gutierrez; Martin, Aleix Garcia; Tsyhankov, Portu, Savio; Dovbyk
Osasuna
The visitors will be without the services of David Garcia and Kike Barja. Meanwhile, the availability of Ruben Pena is doubtful. They will be forced to make two changes to the XI that started in their last outing with Garcia and Barja out injured.
Osasuna will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Sergio Herrera will be in goal. Jesus Areso and Johan Mojica will feature as the full-backs, while Unai García and Jorge Herrando will take charge in the heart of the defence.
The back four will look to keep things tight at the back, and they will have the support of Jon Moncayola and Lucas Torro, who will feature in the centre of the park as the double pivot. Not only will they look to shield the backline, but the duo will also look to control the tempo of the game.
Ruben Garcia and Moi Gomez will feature on the flanks. They will provide width to their attack. Meanwhile, Aimar Oroz will feature as the attacking midfielder behind Ante Budimir who will be leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Herrera; Areso, Unai Garcia, Herrando, Mojica; Moncayola, Torro; Ruben Garcia, Oroz, Moi Gomez; Budimir
Key Stats
- Girona and Osasuna have both won four matches apiece out of the 12 matches played between the two.
- Girona have lost three out of their last four league games.
- The reverse fixture between the two teams ended 4-2 in favour of Girona back in November.
- Osasuna have won three out of their last four league games.
- Girona have only won one out of their last four home games against Osasuna in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Savio
The 19-year-old sensational has made quite a name for himself with his impressive performances this season. But, Girona as a team have struggled in the last few fixture, and they will expect Savio to step up and help them return to winning ways.
He has been involved in each of their 27 league games and has contributed towards 14 goals. The teenager has seven goals and seven assists to his name. Girona has won every game in which Savio has contributed towards a goal, and they will hope he gets the job done for them once again.
Prediction
Girona 2-1 Osasuna
On current form, Osasuna are the ones who will be confident of getting a positive result here. But with Girona pushed back to the wall in the recent past, one will not count them out. The home team have a lot of quality in their ranks, and they can surely turn things around. Despite their good recent form, the visitors might still not win here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Girona.