As relegation-threatened Cadiz travels to Girona, they will face a team that has been inconsistent of late.
On Saturday, Girona will host Cadiz in La Liga in an effort to return to winning ways. Both teams will be eager to get back on track with only a few games remaining.
In some ways, they have exceeded expectations this season. From the start of February until the end of the month, Girona was in the title race. Five of their last eight league matches have ended in defeat, including the defeat against league leaders Real Madrid.
The team is still third in the league with 65 points out of 31 matches and can easily finish inside the top four if they are able to finish strong in the remaining matches. Having lost to Atletico Madrid the previous week, they will be eager to return to winning ways.
In the meantime, Cadiz are fighting for survival in La Liga. Their 31 matches have resulted in 25 points, which places them 18th in the league. This season, they have won only four games. They will be confident that they can put together a good string of results to help them survive in La Liga after winning two of their last five matches.
Despite putting in a great effort against Barcelona, the visitors fell short in the match against Granada. As they aim for all three points against Girona, they will need to improve their performance. In The Hard Tackle, we take a closer look at both teams and predict their tactics.
News & Tactics from the team
Girona
Roca, Tsyhankov, and Artero won’t be available for the home team, while Martin is back after serving a suspension.
Paulo Gazzaniga is expected to start in goal for Girona in a 4-3-3 formation. The full-backs will be Eric Garcia and Miguel Gutierrez, while David Lopez and Daley Blind will line up in the middle.
Besides Aleix Garcia and Yangel Herrera, Martin will return to the midfield. They will try to control the tempo and have the majority of the ball in this game. Portu and Savio will provide width in attack, while Artem Dovbyk will lead the line in good form.
This is the probable line-up (4-3-3): Gazzaniga; Eric Garcia, David Lopez, Blind, Gutierrez; Martin, Herrera, Aleix Garcia; Portu, Dovbyk, Savio
Cadiz
Fede San Emeterio, Jose Mari, Rominigue Kouame, and Luis Hernandez will not be available for the visitors. After picking up a milestone yellow last time out, left-back Javi Hernandez is suspended for this match.
Jeremias Ledesma will be in goal for Cadiz in a 4-4-2 formation. Isaac Carcelen, Lucas Pires, Aiham Ousou, and Victor Chust will make up the back four. Pires and Carcelen will be the full-backs, and Ousou and Chust will be the centre-backs.
With Ruben Sobrino and Robert Navarro starting out wide on the flanks, the duo will provide width. Ruben Alcaraz and Alex Fernandez should play a more central role together. In order to avoid Girona dominating proceedings, they will shield the back line. Maxi Gomez should be included in the starting XI. Up top, he will partner with Juanmi.
There is a likelihood that this line-up is (4-4-2): Ledesma; Carcelen, Ousou, Chust, Pires; Sobrino, A Fernandez, Alcaraz, Navarro; Gomez, Juanmi.
Statistic Highlights
- Cadiz and Girona have each won four of the last ten meetings between them.
- Cadiz has won one out of three league games against Girona.
- Cadiz earned a point against Girona in their only away game in the top flight.
- Cadiz has only lost one match out of six against the hosts in all competitions.
- Having gone 15 games unbeaten in the league, Girona has now lost five of their last eight games.
Watch out for this player
Artem Dovbyk
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In his debut season at Girona, Dovbyk has had an exceptional season. For them, he has played 29 league games and scored 22 goals. As his team looks to end the season on a high, the 26-year-old Ukrainian international will hope to once again bring his A game to the table.
The Prediction
Cadiz 2-2 Girona
In their last eight league games, Girona have suffered a lot after a dominant start to the season. Even though two teams are at opposite ends of the table, this match could still be close despite their recent defeats. Despite being in a survival fight, Cadiz is expected to give everything they have here. Therefore, The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw.
