La Liga leaders Girona will look to recuperate from a disappointing defeat within the Copa del Rey as they resume their league marketing campaign towards Celta Vigo on Sunday.
Girona, who’re having a powerful season, at present sit on the high of the division, one level forward of second-placed Actual Madrid. Then again, Celta Vigo is in sixteenth place, with solely a two-point cushion above the relegation zone.
Match preview
Celta Vigo enters this match on the again of consecutive losses to Actual Sociedad. They had been defeated 1-0 by the Basque facet in La Liga final weekend and suffered a 2-1 loss within the Copa del Rey on Tuesday.
Regardless of these setbacks, Rafael Benitez’s facet has managed to select up 4 factors from their final three league matches, with victories over Actual Betis and attracts towards Mallorca.
Nonetheless, they had been unable to proceed their momentum as they fell to Actual Sociedad final weekend.
In the course of the 2023-24 marketing campaign, Celta Vigo has struggled to take care of consistency, with three wins, eight attracts, and ten losses from 21 league matches. This places them in sixteenth place with 17 factors.
Celta’s residence type has been significantly disappointing this season, as they’ve solely managed to earn 10 factors from 11 video games in entrance of their very own followers, scoring solely eight objectives.
Whereas Celta has gained two of their final 4 La Liga matches towards Girona, they skilled a 1-0 defeat of their earlier encounter earlier this season.
Girona continued their exceptional La Liga marketing campaign with a convincing 5-1 victory over Sevilla final weekend. This end result introduced their whole factors to 52 from 21 matches, with a report of 16 wins, 4 defeats, and one loss.
The Catalan outfit at present sits on the high of the division, main second-placed Actual Madrid by one level. Nonetheless, Carlo Ancelotti’s facet nonetheless has a recreation in hand, and so they have the chance to assert the highest spot on Saturday with both a draw or a victory towards Las Palmas.
Girona has been probably the most formidable attacking facet in Spain’s high flight this season, scoring 51 objectives of their 21 matches.
They’re in a wonderful place to safe a top-four end, as they at present sit 11 factors away from fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao.
With 24 factors from their 10 away matches, Girona boasts the very best away report in La Liga this season, with seven wins and three defeats.
Nonetheless, Girona will enter this match after struggling a quarter-final exit within the Copa del Rey, as they misplaced 3-2 to Mallorca on Wednesday.
Crew Information
Celta Vigo shall be lacking Joseph Aidoo and Franco Cervi on account of damage, whereas Jonathan Bamba continues to be representing Ivory Coast on the Africa Cup of Nations.
Head coach Rafael Benitez made adjustments to the lineup for the Copa del Rey match on Tuesday, however gamers like Iago Aspas, Oscar Mingueza, Unai Nunez, and Carlos Dotor will return for this match.
Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has been in good scoring type this season with seven objectives in La Liga, can even make his comeback.
As for Girona, Eric Garcia, Juanpe, David Lopez, Joel Roca, and Toni Villa are unavailable on account of damage.
Antal Yaakobishvili may characteristic within the protection, given the staff’s damage issues in that space of the sphere. There’ll seemingly be a number of adjustments from the beginning lineup that featured within the Copa del Rey.
One notable addition shall be Artem Dovbyk, Girona’s center-forward, who has had a wonderful debut season in La Liga, scoring 14 objectives and offering six assists in 20 appearances.
Celta Vigo attainable beginning lineup:
Guaita;
Mingueza, U Nunez, Dominguez, M Sanchez;
Rodriguez, Tapia, Dotor, De la Torre;
Aspas, Larsen
Girona attainable beginning lineup:
Gazzaniga;
Couto, Yaakobishvili, Blind, Gutierrez;
Tsyhankov, A Garcia, Martin, Herrera, Savio;
Dovbyk
Prediction: Celta Vigo 1-2 Girona
Girona has been in distinctive type in La Liga this season, making it troublesome to wager towards them, particularly given their robust away report and Celta Vigo’s struggles at residence. Whereas the scoreline could also be tight, Girona ought to have sufficient high quality to safe all three factors.