Girona vs Mallorca

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Girona is set to extend their impressive beginning to the 2023-24 La Liga season when they host Mallorca at Estadi Montilivi this Saturday.

The home team has secured an impressive 13 points from their first five matches, positioning them third in the league table. They're just two points behind Real Madrid, who currently leads the league. In contrast, Mallorca currently occupies the 15th spot with five points from their five games.

Remarkably, Girona, which finished 10th in La Liga last season and in the 2017-18 season, is in only its fourth campaign at this level of football. Their fantastic start to this season includes a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad and four consecutive victories over Getafe, Sevilla, Las Palmas, and Granada, accumulating 13 points. This places them just two points off the top spot. Although challenging matches against Villarreal and Real Madrid loom after this one, there's no doubt they've been among the division's top teams this term.

In their recent match against Granada, Girona led 3-0 within the first 34 minutes before conceding two goals, ultimately securing a 4-2 victory with a late goal by Yan Couto.

In the 2022-23 La Liga season, Girona collected four points from their two clashes against Mallorca, including a 2-1 win in their previous encounter.

Mallorca, on the other hand, managed just two points from their first four matches of this season. Their season opened with a draw against Las Palmas and then they suffered consecutive defeats against Villarreal and Granada. They secured their second draw against Athletic Bilbao before their first win against Celta Vigo, where Vedat Muriqi scored the decisive goal in the 85th minute.

Despite their lackluster start, Mallorca aims for a top-half finish this season. A positive result against Girona would set them up nicely for their upcoming home match against an in-form Barcelona.

In terms of injuries, Girona has several players sidelined, including Arnau Martinez, Borja Garcia, Joel Roca, Ricard Arteto, and Toni Villa. The expected lineup is likely to be the same as the one that faced Granada, with Savio and Viktor Tsygankov on the wings. A competition for the starting center-forward position exists between Artem Dovbyk and Cristhian Stuani, with the former expected to retain his place in the lineup.

Mallorca, meanwhile, will be without Omar Mascarell due to a muscular issue, and Antonio Raillo has an ankle complaint. Expect to see the same starting XI as their last game due to the impressive performance and result against Celta.

In terms of statistics, Girona has accumulated 11 saves and boasts an 84.6% save rate this season. Their goal differential stands at +5, having scored 7 goals and conceded 2. They currently average 2.50 points per game (10 points) and rank 7th in the league with 5 assists. In terms of expected goals (xG), they are 14th with 4.9, and their expected goals against (xGA) are 4.5. Girona has received 11 yellow cards.

Mallorca, on the other hand, averages 1.0 point per game and has 3 assists. They have kept a clean sheet in 40.0% of their matches this season and received 14 yellow cards. They currently rank 8th in goals against (5) and have a goal differential of -1. In terms of expected goals (xG), they are at 5.7.

In terms of goalkeepers, Girona's Paulo Gazzaniga has a record of 56 wins, 32 losses, and 55 draws in his career. He has kept 34 clean sheets with a shutout rate of 23.4%. His goals-against per 90 minutes is 1.25, and he has a save percentage of 72.5.

Mallorca's goalkeeper, Predrag Rajkovic, has allowed 183 goals in 182 starting appearances, with 485 saves. He concedes 1.01 goals per 90 minutes, has a record of 68 wins, 57 losses, and 56 draws, and maintains a clean sheet rate of 36.8%. His save percentage stands at 75.6.

In terms of key players, Girona relies on Cristhian Stuani, who has 13 assists and 53 yellow cards in his career. Stuani has scored 47 goals in 14,770 minutes of play. For Mallorca, Vedat Muriqi is a pivotal figure, averaging 0.39 goals per 90 minutes and having started in 146 games during his professional soccer career. Muriqi has 59 goals to his name and has provided 20 assists, along with 25 yellow card cautions.