Girona vs Almeria

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Girona is looking to secure their eighth win in La Liga in what has been a highly impressive season so far. They will be hosting a struggling Almeria this Sunday.

Currently, the home team is occupying the second spot in the league standings, having accumulated 22 points from their first nine matches. In contrast, Almeria is at the bottom of the league with just three points from nine games.

Girona has been the surprise team of the season in Spain's top division, having won seven, drawn one, and lost one of their nine matches, giving them a total of 22 points. They are currently second in the standings, trailing the leaders, Real Madrid, by just two points. Real Madrid is the only team that has managed to defeat Girona in the first two months of the 2023-24 season.

It's worth noting that Girona has only been in La Liga for four seasons, finishing 10th, 18th, and 10th in their previous three campaigns. This season, they are on track to make history, but there is still a lot of football to be played.

Girona demonstrated their resilience by bouncing back from a 3-0 loss to Real Madrid in late September with a 1-0 victory over Cadiz just before the international break. Aleix Garcia scored the only goal of that match in the 59th minute.

One of the key factors contributing to Girona's success this season is their ability to share goals among various players. However, they have also conceded 11 goals, which is the highest among the top five teams in the league and the same as Valencia, who are currently in ninth place.

In the 2023-24 season, Almeria has faced significant challenges, with three draws and six losses in nine matches, placing them at the bottom of the table with just three points.

On the other hand, La Union barely escaped relegation to the Segunda Division last season, finishing 17th in Spain's top flight. Their current position at the bottom of the table isn't entirely unexpected, given their recent struggles.

To address their issues, Gaizka Garitano has taken over as the new coach after Vicente Moreno was dismissed at the end of September. Garitano has substantial experience in this football tier, but he is fully aware of the daunting task ahead, especially considering Almeria's alarming defensive record, having already conceded 24 goals in just nine matches, making them the weakest defensive team in the division.

Almeria's recent performance includes a 3-0 defeat to Athletic Bilbao before the international break, and they have lost three out of their four away league games this season, with a notable 5-1 loss to Sevilla last month.

Borja Garcia, Jhon Solis, Juan Carlos, Bernardo Espinosa, Joel Roca, Ricard Artero, and Toni Villa are among the injured players for Girona at the moment.

With both on-loan Barcelona midfielder Pablo Torre and Cristhian Stuani vying to make the starting lineup on Sunday, head coach Michel has plenty of alternatives.

However, it looks like Artem Dovbyk has replaced Ivan Martin as the preferred center-forward. The 26-year-old, who has three league goals this season, is once more anticipated to receive help from Savio and Ivan Martin.

As for Almeria, Sergio Akieme and Lucas Robertone are both considered to be serious doubts, while Ibrahima Kone, Edgar Gonzalez, Luis Suarez, Marc Pubill, and Martin Svidersky are sidelined due to injuries.

The team has a variety of fitness issues, so the new head coach Garitano will be eager to make his impact, but it will be challenging.

The starting lineup from the match against Athletic last time out is still anticipated to alter, with Alex Pozo and Leo Baptistao possibly entering the lineup.

The Spanish La Liga action continues with a clash between Girona and Almeria at Estadi Montilivi this coming Sunday. The two teams have had very different starts to the season. Girona recently secured a 1-0 victory against Cadiz at Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla, bouncing back after a 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid on September 30, which ended their previously unbeaten streak. Girona currently holds the second position in the La Liga standings with 22 points from nine matches, trailing league leaders Real Madrid by just two points.

On the other hand, Almeria hasn't managed to find their footing in the new season, suffering a 3-0 loss to Athletic Bilbao in their latest outing. Gaizka Garitano's team has endured a tough start, failing to win any of their first nine La Liga matches, losing six and drawing three. This unfortunate run places Almeria firmly at the bottom of the league table, having collected only three points out of a possible 27.

In the previous championship, the team secured the 10th position, but in the current campaign, they are demonstrating remarkable improvement, even though they often find themselves in the group of teams battling to avoid relegation. After nine rounds, they currently hold the second position in the standings, trailing just behind Real Madrid and staying ahead of Barcelona by one point.

Girona's performance in this new season is certainly impressive; they have been prolific in scoring while maintaining a strong defense. Prior to their match against Real Madrid, they were the frontrunners in the league. It's highly likely that Girona will maintain their top position throughout the season and represent their country in European competitions in the upcoming season.

On the other hand, it seems that the guests haven't addressed their shortcomings from the previous season when they narrowly escaped relegation by finishing in 17th place. In this season, they are currently sitting at the bottom of the league table, trailing behind their competitors. They've managed to secure only three points in nine matches, falling behind their closest rivals by three points. Their lead over the 17th-placed team, which would ensure survival, is now a substantial five points, making the guests appear quite helpless.