Five reasons not to miss Saturday’s surprise top-of-the-table clash between Girona FC and Real Madrid

SPORT

This weekend’s matches of LaLiga EA Sports features the highly anticipated fixture between Girona FC and Real Madrid, the current top two in the standings and two of the most entertaining teams in Spain in this early stretch of the 2023/24 campaign. 

Los Blanquivermells are set to host Carlo Ancelotti’s at the Estadi Montilivi on Saturday evening.

Both teams have started strong this term, offering LaLiga fans some of the most exciting games of the first few matchdays. 

Here are five reasons you simply can’t miss this match:

Real Madrid’s bogey team

The Madrid-based side haven’t managed to win any of their last three games against Girona. In fact, in the last three duels between the two teams, the Catalans have grabbed a draw and two wins, including a 4-2 victory at home last April, when Taty Castellanos netted four times to dismantle Real Madrid’s defence.

Meanwhile, the last Los Blancos win away at Montilivi dates back to August 2018. Karim Benzema netted a brace, with Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos scoring one each to lead their team to a 4-1 victory.

A battle between prodigious Brazilian attackers

Some of the most talented Brazilian forwards in European football are expected to take to the pitch on Saturday. 

Sávio Moreira de Oliveira, also known as Savinho, has taken the league by storm this season, scoring two goals and recording four assists in Girona’s first seven games. 

Aged 19, he is considered one of the league’s top dribblers along with his compatriot Vinícius, whom he will face this weekend. Sávio told Sport, Barcelona's daily sports newspaper: 

Vinícius and Sávio won’t be the only Brazilians to feature in the game, as Rodrygo and Yan Couto have also established themselves in their respective teams’ line-ups thus far.

The most exciting fact is that none of these four prodigies is older than 23, but they have all already managed to stand out against strong LaLiga opponents.

A Girona squad full of youth and talent

Girona boast one of the youngest squads in the league with an average age of 26.3. 

Míchel has found a way to develop talented players by blending youth and experience in the starting line-up, which features prodigies such as Real Madrid academy product Miguel Gutiérrez, as well as Arnau Martínez, Yan Couto and breakout star Sávio, along with accomplished veterans in David López, Daley Blind and Cristhian Stuani, and the leadership of David López and Aleix García. 

The need to build momentum ahead of ElClasico

Atlético de Madrid dealt a major blow to Los Blancos last Sunday, handing Ancelotti’s men their first defeat this season and putting an end to their six-game winning streak across all competitions. 

Real Madrid bounced back with a win over UD Las Palmas on Wednesday, and they are aware that they are heading into what is expected to be a demanding October due to the busy calendar, one which will culminate with ElClasico against FC Barcelona at the Estadio Olímpico in Montjuïc on October 28.

An abundance of scoring sources

Girona have been hailed for the spectacle they have offered so far this season, going unbeaten in their first seven matches and winning all their three home duels in style. 

 In fact, as many as 11 different players have managed to get their names on the scoresheet at least once in the team’s first seven games, in which they netted 18 times.

This means that more than half of the 21 players who featured for Girona in those matches managed to celebrate a goal of their own.