La Liga: European Hopefuls Clash in Son Moix

Mallorca vs Girona

Two teams looking to sneak in the European places will face off, as Mallorca host Girona at Estadi Mallorca Son Moix on Saturday. These two teams are right beside each other in the La Liga standings, with the hosts in eighth place with 24 points and the visitors in ninth place with 22 points. Girona have a game in hand, despite Los Bermellones’ edge in points.

Girona already know the feeling of being in Europe since they’re competing in the Champions League after a surprising top three finish last season. Michel’s men are the 30th-seed, with elimination looking inevitable, but they don’t mind returning for another year. Mallorca, meanwhile, can’t relate.

Both teams are keen to snap their two-game winless run in the league. Mallorca suffered back-to-back losses against Barcelona (5-1) and Celta Vigo (2-0), and Girona shared the spoils with Villarreal (2-2) and lost to Real Madrid (3-0).

 

Talking Points

Veterans get the job done for Mallorca

Mallorca are punching above their weight this season, and the resurgence of their veterans played a pivotal role to their early success. Los Bermellones’ top scorers and playmakers are at least 29 years old.

Dani Rodriguez leads the team with three league goals and four assists. He just turned 36 last June, and Rodriguez continues to hold it down in the middle of the park for Mallorca. Vedat Muriqi also has three goals. Cyle Larin and Abdon Prats have two goals each, with the former also having two assists.

Meanwhile, head coach Jagoba Arrasate will lose one of his key defenders, as Antonio Jose Raillo Arenas will have to serve his suspension for his straight red card against Celta Vigo. In other team news, Abdon Prats and Vedat Muriqi aim to return to the starting lineup after being on the bench last time out.

Since their 2-1 win over Valencia, the goals have dried up for Los Bermellones this December because they’ve only netted once in their last two games. However, they can move up to as high as sixth place if they beat Girona, depending on this weekend’s La Liga 2024 results.

 

Premier League outcasts with a point to prove with Girona

Girona underwent several changes during the summer transfer window, which saw them losing Artem Dovbyk, Aleix Garcia, and Pau Victor, among others, while acquiring Bryan Gil, Donny van de Beek, and Arnaut Danjuma.

Once upon a time, Bryan Gil and Donny van de Beek were in the Premier League, playing for Tottenham and Manchester United, respectively. However, they couldn’t make it work in the English top-flight, so here they are, out to prove themselves with an up-and-coming club. Bryan Gil is the team’s top playmaker with three assists, and he also has two league goals. Donny van de Beek, meanwhile, has two goals (in all competitions) and two assists.

Cristhian Stuani is Girona’s top scorer with four goals. Yangel Herrera, Abel Ruiz, Bojan Miovski, and Ladislav Krejci also have two goals. Michel will need everyone at their best against Mallorca.

 

History

Saturday marks the fifth La Liga meeting between Mallorca and Girona. Mallorca have not lost their two home games against Girona (W1, D1) but lost both of their away games at the Municipal de Montilivi. Mallorca are on a two-game winning streak against Girona after winning 3-2 in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals in January and winning 1-0 in their previous league encounter in March.

Girona have won only one of their 12 away games against Mallorca across all competitions (D3, L8), with the lone win being a 1-0 result in the Segunda Division in May 2015. Girona also haven’t lost their last two La Liga away games (W1, D1) – their longest undefeated run in the Spanish top-flight this campaign.

 

Betting Tip

The La Liga 2024 odds predict a tight contest between Mallorca and Girona. Since they’re playing at home, Mallorca were given the slight advantage at 2.33, while Girona are at 3.00, and a draw is priced at 2.95 in the 1X2 market. We agree that choosing the winner of this match is too close to tell, so instead we’re looking at the possible goal count and we fancy the chances of this being a low-scoring one given these two teams’ recent scoring woes.

SBOTOP bettors can also go for alternatives like Under 2.00 at 2.05, Under 1.75 at 2.42, and Total Goal 0-1 at 2.58. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 1-0 in favour of Mallorca – the result of their most recent league meeting – has a decent offer of 6.00.

   

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