Judge Montilivi navigates Girona's turmoil and the European aspirations of Mallorca
In the upcoming match, relegation-threatened Girona hosts Mallorca, a team battling for European football. Girona, who hasn't won in eleven games, is anxiously trying to avoid a drop to the lower division. A victory in this match could take them a big step towards safety, as it could leave them with a six-point lead over the relegation places with four games remaining.
Michel Sanchez's team has been underperforming, slipping down the rankings to be the second-worst in the second round with only seven points out of 42. Girona ended 2024, a historic and memorable year for their third-place finish and Champions League debut, in seventh place, but they've struggled to retain European qualification this season. Their defensive fragility has been a glaring issue, as they haven't kept a clean sheet in the fourteen games of the second round, making them the third-most goals conceded team.
Aiming to boost morale and turn their fortunes around, Girona will be looking for a turning point in their match against Mallorca. However, they'll be without Donny van de Beek, Bryan Gil, Gabriel Misehouy, and possibly Tsygankov due to injuries. They do have Abel Ruiz returning from injury and hope to keep Portu and Stuani in the starting lineup, two symbols of the club and key contributors to their attack.
Meanwhile, Mallorca will welcome back Kosovar striker Vedat Muriqi after a month-long absence. They've had mixed results, drawing against Leganes, beating Real Sociedad, and losing to Celta de Vigo. Jagoba Arrasate, Mallorca's coach, expects Girona's best, as they look to advance their European aspirations.
With the return of Muriqi and Asano, Arrasate may reconsider his formation, possibly swapping one or two attacking players for them. Samu Costa and Sergi Darder have been impressive recent additions to Mallorca's system, contributing goals and assists. Arrasate was clear that Greif will be the chosen goalkeeper for this game.
The game against Barcelona raised questions about the starting goalkeeper, but Arrasate made it clear that Greif would be the man between the posts. This match at Montilivi is set to commence at 9:00 PM and promises to be a tense battle between two teams with very different objectives.
- In the upcoming match at Montilivi, Girona, who is currently struggling with a winless streak of eleven games, faces Mallorca, a team striving for European football.
- Despite a historic third-place finish and Champions League debut in 2024, Girona finds themselves anxiously attempting to avoid relegation, with only seven points accumulated in the second round so far.
- Aiming to salvage their faltering season, Girona will be without key players Donny van de Beek, Bryan Gil, Gabriel Misehouy, and possibly Tsygankov due to injuries, but can count on the return of Abel Ruiz and the presence of Portu and Stuani in the starting lineup.
- Mallorca, who have had mixed results in their recent matches, will be strengthened by the return of Kosovar striker Vedat Muriqi and may adjust their formation to include Muriqi and Asano, while Samu Costa and Sergi Darder continue to impress the team.
- The match on the European-leagues table could sway Girona significantly towards safety if they manage a victory, leaving them six points clear of the relegation places with only four games remaining. This tense battle between the relegation-threatened Girona and the European-aspiring Mallorca will commence at 9:00 PM.
