Girona are continuing to upset the big guns in Spain’s top flight.
Sunday’s stunning 4-2 win at Barcelona means Real Madrid, city rivals Atletico, Barca and Real Sociedad – all leaders of their Champions League groups – continue to trail in the wake of the team from Catalonia.
Here we provide some detail about Los Blanquivermells, who have lost just once in 16 matches this season and top the table by two points, and look at the latest Girona betting odds.
Do they have trophy-winning pedigree?
No, unless you count lower league titles and regional cups. This is only Girona’s fourth campaign in Spain’s top flight, with last season’s 10th-placed finish equalling their previous best in 2013.
Who are the club owned by?
Girona are part owned by the City Football Group (CFG), who own Manchester City. CFG bought a 44.3 per cent stake in the club in 2017 with the Girona Football Group and now own 47 per cent.
Have they spent much money?
Not a significant amount. Ukraine forward Artem Dovbyk, whose opener in Sunday’s win at Barca was his seventh goal in just 10 LaLiga matches, reportedly became the club’s record signing when he joined from Dnipro for around £7million in August.
Who is their manager?
Miguel Angel Sanchez Munoz, better known as Michel, led Rayo Vallecano to LaLiga in 2018 and repeated the feat two years later with another unfashionable club, Huesca. As a player, he was a midfielder who played more than 180 games in LaLiga, most of them with Rayo.
Do they have any recognisable players?
Considering the ownership, a Manchester City link is not unexpected. Defender Eric Garcia and midfielder Aleix Garcia played for the defending champions, while Brazilian Yan Couto – in his third stint on loan with Girona – is a City defender.
Former Tottenham goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga and ex-Manchester United defender Daley Blind are also regulars in the team.
And what about their captain?
Cristhian Stuani, now 37 and once of Middlesbrough, continues to catch the eye. The Uruguay international’s double in the closing stages of their last home match, against Valencia, turned defeat into another victory – their 12th in 15th games – and had most of the 13,343 fans at Estadi Montilivi continuing to dream of a top-four finish.
What are the Girona betting odds?
Much like Aston Villa in the Premier League, Girona are surprise title contenders but recent results have seen their odds slashed.
Having beaten Barcelona, Girona have been cut to 6/1 in the outright La Liga odds and they are third favourites for the title behind Real Madrid (4/9) and Barca (9/2).
They have two more league games before Christmas and are firm favourites at 11/20 for a home win against Alaves on Monday but the trip to Real Betis three days later is a tougher test and they are 6/4 for victory.
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