Struggling Girona welcome Osasuna to Montilivi on Sunday, hoping to put an end to a miserable run of form in LaLiga.
The hosts were defeated in a dramatic encounter with Almeria on Thursday, while the visitors recorded an important home victory over Espanyol.
Match preview
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Girona's winless streak has become much more concerning than just a tough run of games over the course of the last seven days.
Following a 102nd-minute penalty to rescue a point against Cadiz last weekend, Thursday's 3-2 defeat to fellow newly-promoted side Almeria now means that the Catalan club have picked up just one point in their last five outings.
In a thrilling game from a neutral perspective, Michel's men found themselves 3-0 down after 38 minutes, as Adrian Embarba scored a sensational, 40-yard free-kick that keeper Juan Carlos could only parry into the net.
Moments before, El Bilal Toure capitalised on a calamitous mix-up between Bernardo Espinosa and his goalkeeper, in a goal that epitomised the defensive struggles that have seen Girona fall into the relegation zone.
On the attacking front, Los Gerundenses perhaps should have completed a remarkable second-half comeback, as Cristhian Stuani missed his first ever LaLiga penalty at the 18th attempt, while Yangel Herrera's last-minute equaliser was dramatically, and controversially, ruled out for a foul on the goalkeeper.
Nonetheless, the ease with which Michel's side are giving up goals is worrying, and is a trend that needs arresting as they return to Montilivi this weekend.
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The visitors, on the other hand, will have been happy to halt a mini-slump on Thursday, as they ground out an important 1-0 win over Espanyol to end a four-game winless run.
Jagoba Arrasate's men had started the season brilliantly, with four wins in their opening five, before successive home defeats to Getafe and Valencia dampened spirits slightly around El Sadar.
Their midweek win, however, showed Osasuna at their organised, resolute best, as an emphatic header from Ante Budimir sealed a fairly comfortable victory, including 65% possession and 17 shots on goal.
With an impressive 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu to their name this season, Los Rojillos will provide stern resistance and look to capitalise on any nerves from a Girona side increasingly desperate for points.
Team News
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The home side will still be unable to call upon Real Madrid loanee Reinier, after he sustained a thigh injury three weeks ago. Otherwise, Michel's squad seems to be nearing full fitness.
Oriol Romeu has been a crucial midfield cog for the Catalan side over the last couple of weeks and will start alongside Aleix Garcia and Herrera once more, while Miguel Gutierrez could lose his place at left-back after a shaky performance at Almeria.
For the visiting side, we might see a few rotations from the XI that beat Espanyol, with Arrasate never shy to keep his players on their toes.
After starting on the bench in midweek, both Chimy Avila and Jon Moncayola should come into the squad, while Ruben Pena should start at right-back following the completion of his suspension. Centre-back David Garcia, however, will be unavailable due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Goalkeeper Aitor Fernandez came in for his first Osasuna appearance since his summer move from Levante on Thursday, and he could retain his place between the sticks after making three important saves and keeping an all-important clean sheet.
Girona possible starting lineup:
Juan Carlos; Fernandez, Espinosa, Bueno, Arnau; Garcia, Romeu, Herrera; Riquelme, Stuani, Castellanos
Osasuna possible starting lineup:
Fernandez; Cruz, Aridane, U. Garcia, Pena; Torro, Moncayola, Brasanac; Abde, Avila, Gomez
We say: Girona 1-1 Osasuna
Osasuna are proving difficult to predict this campaign, but are probably slight favourites heading into this one, given the poor form of the home side.
However, as the need for points becomes increasingly urgent for Girona, we expect that they will be up for the fight and should be able to nick at least a point.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
