La Liga: Girona are Glad to be Back Home

Girona vs Sevilla

Surprise package Girona are back home in Catalonia on Sunday when they take on struggling Sevilla at the Municipal de Montilivi Stadium.

Girona boss Michel is fast becoming a Catalan hero, leading his side to the top of the table, playing attractive football, and giving plenty of “bigger” La Liga teams a bloody nose.

They come into the game on the back of a goalless draw away to Almeria, but with a run of four consecutive victories at home, Girona will be determined to get back to winning ways on Sunday.

In Quique’s Sevilla, they come face-to-face with a club with a big history but a rather tricky present, as Los Sevillistas face a relegation scrap.

Last week, they lost 3-2 at home to Alaves, but both teams were in Copa del Rey action in midweek, each winning 3-1, Girona at home to Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla away to Getafe.     

Girona are just about holding Los Blancos off at the top of the league table. But they could be off the top by the time they kick off should Real Madrid beat Almeria in the earlier match, and then we’ll see what Michel’s team is made of.  

Talking Points

Can City Boys help to bring Girona glory?

The La Liga 2024 betting odds price Girona at 7.00 to see this through and, for a team which has only been in the top-flight since 2020 and with a population of 100,000, it is quite a story.

Michel, who has been at the club since 2021, has done an outstanding job, and Girona’s title push is the big La Liga 2024 news of the season.

Michel has a young squad and, not surprisingly, with a Manchester City flavour to it. The Catalan club’s majority owner is The City Football Group which also owns the Sky Blues, and the Premier League champions have a good relationship with Girona.

Impressive young defender Yan Couto is on loan from the Etihad and Yangel Herrera, Aleix Garcia, and Eric Garcia have all played in the City academy. The quality of this quartet is clear, and Michel can always get on the phone to Pep Guardiola if he wants to pick the Catalan’s brain.

Of course, it’s not all about Girona’s relationship with Manchester City. The brightest star at the club is home grown defender Arnau Martinez, while striker Artem Dovbyk, who has scored 11 goals in 18 games since his summer arrival from SC Dnipro, is a real threat up front. 

They missed their opportunity against Almeria last week, but Girona have already beaten Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, so they fear no one. As they go back home on Sunday, they will take the game to Sevilla from the off.   

Can Hannibal lift Sevilla?

In 17^th place in the La Liga table and just a single point above the drop zone, Sevilla are flirting with relegation again and, with an experienced squad with no little quality in it, that’s a bit of a head scratcher.

In December, Quique was drafted in as the third head coach in another chaotic campaign. While Girona have a Manchester City flavour, Quique has made an eye-catching signing this week, bringing in Manchester United’s 20-year-old midfielder Hannibal Mejbri, and he could be the injection of youth needed spark a sustained revival.

Hannibal is a gifted ball player and has a bite in his tackle, and he was recommended to go to Seville by his teammates who experienced the crazy atmosphere in the crowd.

Sevilla fans are passionate and loyal, and when they see a crunching Hannibal tackle, they’ll be on their feet. Sevilla beat off competition from Villarreal, SC Freiburg, and Everton for the youngster’s signature, and he will want to get plenty of minutes on the pitch.  

And a former Manchester United colleague will be able to vouch for Sevilla. Mason Greenwood was in the Getafe side which was beaten by Sevilla in the Copa del Rey last week, and the striker didn’t get a sniff, as veteran defender Sergio Ramos had him in his pocket as well as scoring one of Sevilla’s three goals.      

History

Girona and Sevilla have both won four of the head-to-head meetings but, crucially, Los Gironistas have won the last four meetings, including a 2-1 win in Seville back in August.

In terms of recent form, the hosts are ahead with four wins and two draws compared to Sevilla’s three wins and three losses from the last six.

Girona have been very strong at home with eight wins, one draw, and one defeat while Sevilla have struggled on the road, winning one, drawing three, and losing five.     

Betting Tip

Girona are at SBOTOP odds of 1.69 to win this clash with Sevilla at 3.93, and the draw at 3.56. I’m backing Michel’s men to pick up the win they need to stay on top of the pile.

 

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