Girona vs Athletic Club Predictions & Match Preview

Girona vs Athletic Club predictions and match preview for Friday’s LaLiga fixture. Read on for analysis, team news and predicted lineups as the Basque giants travel to Catalunya.

Girona vs Athletic Club Preview

Girona and Athletic Club face off in LaLiga this Friday with the Basque giants travelling to Montilivi. It’s a good chance for Ernesto Valverde’s side to put three more points on the board as they push for European football this season.

Girona are just one place outside the relegation zone as it stands but they should not be underestimated. They have plenty of attacking quality in their ranks and they frequently create opportunities and test even the meanest of defences. They’ll be confident heading into this too after a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu last weekend.

Michel deserves credit for the way he has approached this season and Girona have invariably been a good watch. However their failure to keep a single clean sheet yet this term points to where their problems lie. They need to find a way to stop leaking so many goals as it is putting pressure on their attacking players to constantly get them out of trouble. Fresh defensive additions may be needed in January as Michel seems reluctant to radically alter their style of play, although he has tinkered with his formation.

As for Athletic Club, they were on a four game winless run heading into their home fixture against Villarreal last time out. They responded well though with an excellent performance as they pressed the Yellow Submarine effectively throughout and that frequently caused problems for Quique Setien’s side who were trying to build from the back.

Athletic could have won the game by a greater margin than 1-0 with some chances wasted but they triumphed thanks to Inaki Williams’ goal. There was also a relatively rare start for Raul Garcia in that game with the veteran midfielder one of those guilty of missed opportunities. Valverde will be hoping they can produce a similar kind of performance here in Catalunya.

Team News & Possible Lineups

Girona

Possible XI: Gazzaniga – Miguel, David Lopez, Bueno, Arnau – Aleix Garcia, Romeu, Herrera – Valery, Castellanos, Riquelme (4-3-3)

Coach: Michel

Athletic Club

Possible XI: Simon – Yuri, Yeray, Martinez, De Marcos – Vesga, Sancet – Berenguer, Raul Garcia, N. Williams – I. Williams (4-2-3-1)

Coach: Ernesto Valverde

Score Prediction: Girona 1-2 Athletic Club

Girona have been an excellent addition to LaLiga and their games have frequently produced lots of goals. We should see a few here too but Athletic are strong enough defensively and in midfield to limit the number of opportunities the home team can create and that may help them leave with all the points.

PLEASE NOTE – Our LaLiga predictions are not betting tips! No profits are guaranteed if you’re using them to bet on Spanish football. If you are gambling, do so responsibly and never stake more than you can afford to lose. BeGambleAware.