Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid will be looking to return to winning ways when they square up against Girona away from home.
Girona, who have been undefeated in their last four league outings, will look to take down Real Madrid, who suffered a defeat in their last outing, when the two sides lock horns at Estadi Montilivi on Saturday night.
The home team are eighth on the points table with 22 points in their 15 outings. They have won six, drawn four and last five so far. Girona were on a three-match winning streak before ending up playing out a draw against Villarreal last time out.
Having lost to UD Logrones on penalties in the second round of the Copa del Rey, Girona surely won’t be that confident going up against one of the Spanish giants. On the other hand, Real Madrid have not been at their best this season.
Los Blancos’ UEFA Champions League campaign has been a disaster but when it comes to La Liga, they are within touching distance of league leaders Barcelona. The reigning champions are currently four points behind with a game in hand.
A win in their last outing against Athletic Club would have given them an advantage but they ended up suffering a disappointing loss. Now, Carlo Ancelotti’s team will look to return to winning ways but it won’t be that straightforward given how inconsistent they have been. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Girona
The home team are without the services of Viktor Tsygankov, Yaser Asprilla, and Yangel Herrera. Meanwhile, Gabriel Misehouy made his return last time out in the Copa del Rey, and he should play a part here.
Girona will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Real Madrid, Paulo Gazzaniga taking charge in between the sticks. Arnau Martinez will be the right-back while Miguel Gutierrez will be on the left flank. In the heart of the defence, David Lopez will partner Ladislav Krejci.
As for the midfield unit, Ivan Martin will partner Oriol Romeu in the double pivot. The duo will look to shield the backline and ensure they have a strong base to attack from. Bryan Gil will feature out wide on the right flank, while Arnaut Danjuma will take charge on the left. Former Manchester United midfielder Donny Van de Beek will be the attacking midfielder, with Bojan Miovski leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga; Arnau Martinez, David Lopez, Krejci, Gutierrez; Martin, Romeu; Gil, van de Beek, Danjuma; Miovski
Real Madrid
Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga, and Vinicius Junior are all on the sidelines for the visitors. Expect Carlo Ancelotti to make a few changes to the XI that started in their last outing. Real Madrid will line up in a 4-3-3 formation against Girona, with Thibaut Courtois in goal.
Lucas Vazquez will continue as the right-back, while Ferland Mendy should return to the starting XI for this one. Real Madrid academy product Raul Asencio will continue in the heart of the defence alongside Antonio Rudiger.
Aurelien Tchouameni will be the defensive midfielder, with Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde in his support. They will look to ensure they dominate the ball and create chances for their front three.
With Vinicius Junior unavailable, Kylian Mbappe will start out wide on the left flank, while Rodrygo Goes will continue on the right. Brahim Diaz will return to the XI and take up the role of a false nine.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Courtois; Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Brahim, Mbappe
Key Stats
- Real Madrid have lost two out of their last three games.
- Girona have been winless in their last three outings across competitions. (D1 L2)
- Los Blancos have won six out of their last ten league games against Girona across all competitions.
- The team in white won the corresponding fixture 3-0 last season.
- Girona have been unbeaten in their last four league outings. (W3 D1)
Player to Watch
Jude Bellingham
Bellingham was one of the stars for Real Madrid last season. He was scoring goals for fun in his debut campaign, but he has not had that great a start this time out. However, the English international has turned things around as he has contributed towards six goals in his last four league outings. The youngster will be looking to make a difference and help his team return to winning ways.
Prediction
Girona 1-3 Real Madrid
Having lost last time out, Real Madrid are not going to find this away game easy. But, they have the quality to turn things around and Girona could feel the full force of Los Blancos. Carlo Ancelotti’s men will go all-out attack, and they should come out on top here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the visitors.