Girona will be aiming to bounce back from four straight defeats in all competitions when they continue their La Liga campaign with a clash against Las Palmas on Monday night.
The home side are eighth in the La Liga table, picking up 28 points from their opening 21 matches of the campaign, while Las Palmas sit 15th, just three points clear of the relegation zone.
Match preview
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Girona boast a record of eight wins, four draws and nine defeats from their 21 La Liga matches this season, with a total of 28 points leaving them in eighth spot in the table, eight points above the relegation zone and four points behind sixth-placed Rayo Vallecano.
It was always going to be difficult for the Catalan outfit to match their heroics from last season, when they finished third in La Liga, and their first-ever Champions League campaign finished on Wednesday with a 2-1 home defeat to Arsenal.
Girona's journey in Europe for this season is over, but they will have taken plenty from their experience at that level, and Michel's team will now be aiming to bounce back from four straight straight defeats in all competitions.
The White and Reds have lost their last two in La Liga to Sevilla and Rayo Vallecano, with their last success in Spain's top flight proving to be a 1-0 victory over Alaves on January 11.
Girona have a mixed record in front of their own fans this season, winning five, drawing one and losing four of their 10 matches on home soil, while Las Palmas have gathered 10 points from their 10 matches on their travels.
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Las Palmas, meanwhile, will enter the contest off the back of a 1-1 draw against Osasuna, with Adnan Januzaj scoring in the 98th minute of that contest to secure a share of the spoils for Los Amarillos.
Diego Martinez's side have a record of six wins, five draws and 10 defeats from their 21 league matches this season, with 23 points leaving them in 15th spot in the table, three points ahead of the relegation zone.
Las Palmas have been an entertaining watch this season, scoring 26 times, which is the most in the bottom seven, but they have conceded 34, which is the third-worst defensive record behind Valencia (36) and Real Valladolid (42).
Pio Pio finished 16th in Spain's top flight last season after securing a return to La Liga, and any spot over 18th would again be considered a successful campaign, with the club again looking to solidify their position at this level.
Las Palmas recorded a 1-0 win over Girona in the reverse match between the two sides earlier this season, but Girona were victorious in both La Liga encounters during the 2023-24 campaign.
Team News
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Girona will be without the services of Miguel Gutierrez due to a muscular problem, while Daley Blind, Ladislav Krejci and Valery are major doubts for the contest on Monday night.
Arnaut Danjuma was on the scoresheet against Arsenal in the Champions League, and the Netherlands international could start through the middle here, with Bryan Gil operating down the left.
Yangel Herrera and Donny van de Beek should return to the side, while Paulo Gazzaniga will be back between the sticks.
As for Las Palmas, Benito Ramirez is available again following a suspension, but Dario Essugo will be missing due to the red card that he was handed in the clash with Osasuna last time out.
The visitors will also be without the services of Jose Campana, Viti, Marvin Park and Daley Sinkgraven due to injury, but there is a hope that Kirian Rodriguez will overcome a minor problem to make the XI.
Januzaj's late goal against Osasuna could earn him a spot in the starting side for this match, while there will once again be a position through the middle for on-loan Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Fabio Silva.
Girona possible starting lineup:
Gazzaniga; A Martinez, Juanpe, D Lopez, Frances; Herrera, Martin; Asprilla, Van de Beek, Gil; Danjuma
Las Palmas possible starting lineup:
Cillessen; Munoz, Suarez, McKenna, Marmol; Fuster, K Rodriguez; S Ramirez, Januzaj, Moleiro; F Silva
We say: Girona 2-1 Las Palmas
Girona have been victorious in four of the last five La Liga matches between the two sides and will enter this contest as the favourites, but we are expecting a close game - it would not be a surprise to see the points shared, but with home advantage, we are backing Girona to secure a narrow victory on Monday night.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Matt Law
