Girona travel to face Getafe in what will be a crucial game for their title hopes as they continue to chase Real Madrid at the top of the table.
Date: 16/03/24
Kick-off time: 17:30
Venue: Estadio Coliseum
This weekend’s La Liga fixture sees two sides who are enduring very contrasting seasons face off. Girona currently sit second in the league, seven points behind leaders Real Madrid. Three points for the visitors would mean they at least maintain the gap, or cut the deficit to four depending on the result of Madrid’s trip to Osasuna. They are also only a point ahead of third-place Barcelona, so any dropped points could see the giants take advantage and overtake them.
Getafe, in contrast, are comfortably in mid-table, an unlikely threat to the European places, but also safe from any relegation concerns. Occupying 11th, a victory may see them jump to as high as ninth, but defeat would open the door for Villarreal to leapfrog them.
With 59 goals scored this season, the hosts have the league’s second-most potent attack. Their opponents struggle in this regard, finding the back of the net just 31 times. Girona’s top scorer is Artem Dovbyk and he should be confident of adding to his tally of 14 goals when he takes on a defence who has not kept a clean sheet in seven games. Osasuna may have a bit more difficulty getting past a backline who have conceded once in the last three.
In the last five meetings, there has been nothing to split the pair, with the sides winning two games apiece and playing out one draw. There have been goals aplenty in recent seasons, there being a combined 12 goals in the previous three. The reverse fixture earlier in this campaign finished in the favour of Girona, who won 3-0. They opened the score early through Yangel Herrera, before Christian Stuani scored a second-half brace to complete the victory.
