Preview: Girona vs. Real Valladolid - prediction, team news, lineups

Posted Friday, December 20, 2024 by sportsmole.co.uk

Girona will be bidding to halt a four-game losing run in all competitions when they continue their La Liga campaign with a clash against struggling Real Valladolid on Friday night.

The hosts will enter the match off the back of a 2-1 defeat at Mallorca, while Real Valladolid moved off the bottom of the La Liga table courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Valencia last time out.

Girona will bring a six-game winless run in all competitions into this contest, with Michel's side not victorious since a 4-1 success over Espanyol in La Liga on November 23.

The Catalan team picked up a point in a 2-2 draw with Villarreal at the start of the month, but they have lost their last four, including a shock defeat to UD Logrones in the Copa del Rey.

Girona were also beaten at home by Liverpool in the Champions League either side of league reverses to Real Madrid and Mallorca, which has seen them drop into 10th spot in the La Liga table.

The White and Reds have a record of six wins, four draws and seven defeats from their 17 league matches this season, and they are currently 11 points off the top four, so it is going to be incredibly difficult for them to match their heroics from last term, with the team finishing third to qualify for the league phase of the Champions League.

Girona have picked up 13 points from their eight home league matches this season, and they will be welcoming a Real Valladolid outfit that have been beaten in seven of their eight away La Liga fixtures in 2024-25.

Real Valladolid will enter this match off the back of a huge 1-0 victory over Valencia, with Anuar Tuhami scoring the only goal of the match in the 20th minute to secure all three points for the hosts.

The win was enough to move the White and Violets off the bottom of the table, but they are only two points ahead of 20th-placed Valencia, who have two games in hand, so the picture could change again very quickly.

Diego Cocca was confirmed as Real Valladolid's new head coach on Saturday, so this will mark the start of the 52-year-old's tenure, and it will be fascinating to see how he performs in his first job in Spanish football.

The visitors have the worst defensive record in La Liga this season, conceding 34 times in their 17 matches, so there is clear room for improvement in that area in the coming months.

Real Valladolid have actually won two of the last three La Liga meetings between these two sides, but they suffered a 2-1 defeat in the corresponding fixture during the 2022-23 campaign.

Girona will again be missing Bojan Miovski and Viktor Tsygankov due to injury problems, while Yangel Herrera faces a late fitness test on a muscular issue.

Ladislav Krejci is available again following a suspension, though, and he is expected to return to the defence, with head coach Michel potentially again selecting a 3-5-1-1 formation.

Miguel Gutierrez continues to be linked with a departure, but the Spaniard will again be in the XI, while there should be another start for Donny van de Beek, who was on the scoresheet in the defeat to Mallorca.

As for Real Valladolid, Selim Amallah is out with a muscular problem, while the visitors will be without the services of two players on Friday due to suspensions.

Indeed, Kike Perez picked up a milestone yellow card against Valencia, while Juanmi Latasa was sent off in the second period.

Eray Comert is back from a ban of his own, though, and there should also be a return to the squad for Mamadou Sylla, with the 30-year-old said to have recovered from the minor issue that saw him miss out against Los Che.

Girona possible starting lineup:
Gazzaniga; D Lopez, Krejci, Blind; Gil, A Martinez, Romeu, Van de Beek, Gutierrez; Asprilla; Danjuma

Real Valladolid possible starting lineup:
Hein; Perez, Bah, J Sanchez, Rosa; Juric, Comert; Sylla, Tuhami, Moro; Andre

We say: Girona 1-1 Real Valladolid
There has only been one draw between these two sides since May 2016, but we are expecting the points to be shared here; Girona are just struggling for form at the moment, while Real Valladolid picked up a morale-boosting victory last time out, and we have a feeling that another positive result will arrive here.