Espanyol vs Girona | OneFootball

A derby feeling

Girona visits the RCDE Stadium with the intention of getting three points that will allow them to get back to winning ways and reverse the dynamic of recent weeks. It will do so, however, in a demanding scenario, and not only because it is a derby, but also because Espanyol's home record is good. Despite the Barcelona side's complicated sporting situation throughout the season, it is at home that they have become stronger, with six wins and four draws, for only three defeats, and having taken 22 of the 27 points they have accumulated in total. These records make them the eighth best in the First Division, despite the fact that they are fifteenth in the general classification and are trying to escape from the relegation positions, which are only three points away. Last matchday they scored their first away win of the season, beating Alavés in the last minutes with a goal by Calero, and at home they have just drawn against Athletic Club and won against Real Madrid and Valladolid. In total, they have now gone seven games without defeat since October, when they were beaten by Sevilla.

Espanyol's own names

Manolo González took the helm of Espanyol in the last few days of last season with the objective of achieving promotion to the First Division, and after a long road in the play-offs, he succeeded. Through defensive solidity and a fairly vertical game, the Blue and Whites have competed with their weapons throughout the course despite the difficulty to adapt again to the demands of the category. Even so, their strength at the RCDE Stadium has allowed them to keep their chances of staying alive. Joan Garcia, Olympic Gold medalist in the summer with the Spanish National Team, is a guarantee in goal. In defense they have experienced players such as Cabrera or Kumbulla, Kral is a lung in the midfield, the ex-Gironi Pol Lozano also plays a leading role and Urko Gonzalez has made a place for himself despite his arrival in winter. Another of the January signings, Roberto Fernandez, is the reference in attack and has already scored two goals, and Jofre Carreres and Javi Puado also generate danger from the wing. The latter is the team's top scorer with eight goals.

The precedents

Historically, Girona have dominated in the duels against the Blue and Whites. The first official clash was played in 2017, with the team's promotion to the First Division, with a victory for the Girona side precisely at the RCDE Stadium (0-1). Since then, six wins, two draws and just two defeats, both at Montilivi. Away, Girona have won three games and drawn one. This season, Míchel's men won convincingly at Montilivi in the first round (4-1), and they also met the Barcelona side in the preseason (0-0).