Girona vs Villarreal

Estadio Municipal de Montilivi forms the backdrop for a tasty-looking La Liga encounter between Girona and Villarreal. 

Wasting a halftime lead in a 2-2 draw at Deportivo Alaves last weekend knocked Girona down from a three-game winning run in La Liga but kept them two points clear of third-placed Barcelona. Having secured their maiden appearances in the Champions League group stages with games to spare, La Liga’s surprise package returns to Estadio Municipal de Montilivi, where only new champions Real Madrid took three points in 2023/24 (W14, D2). Upholding their formidable home record with a sixth consecutive triumph would probably produce a thrilling contest, with seven of Girona’s last eight home league victories seeing them score at least three goals! Girona’s supreme home form bodes well for head coach Michel’s bid to improve his underwhelming managerial record against Villarreal (W1, D2, L3).

Meanwhile, visiting Villarreal fought back twice before dispatching Sevilla 3-2 at the weekend to stay alive in the European qualification race. Head coach Marcelino Garcia Toral heaped praise on his side after the win. But as they hit the road, optimism starts to dwindle, with El Submarino Amarillo blowing hot and cold across their last three La Liga travels (W1, D1, L1). Confidence stems from the fact they’ve beaten Granada in all three consecutive away H2Hs in La Liga, though each victory yielded a narrow one-goal margin. Another dramatic contest could be in store, with five of Villarreal’s last seven away league matches producing over 2.5 goals and both teams scoring.