Espanyol take on the visitors Girona in the round 20 match of Spanish LaLiga. The match will be played on Friday, January 16th at RCDE Stadium (Cornella de Llobregat).
Espanyol have always been fairly ambitious and tried to step out of the shadow of their neighbor and historic rival, Barcelona. However, the current head coach, Manolo Gonzalez, took over the team in the Segunda Division and guided them back up only through the playoffs, albeit at the first attempt. In La Liga last spring, they finished just a couple of points above relegated Leganes, although they still collected a solid 42 points. This season, though, Espanyol have turned into genuine contenders for European qualification, even putting together a five-match winning streak in the league, despite being knocked out of the cup by Atletico Baleares. Only Barcelona stopped that run, winning the derby 2-0. After that, against Levante, a newly promoted underdog, they traded goals and ended with a draw. Recent league performances underline Espanyol’s growing consistency and confidence. Even when the winning streak ended, their overall level has remained high, and they continue to look competitive week after week.
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Girona simply cannot escape the relegation zone. Girona were the sensation of the season before last, finishing third. That was followed by a sharp decline: a failed debut in the Champions League, an early cup exit, and only 16th place in La Liga with 41 points. Things became even worse after the summer break, as the new campaign began with nothing but defeats in August. They later improved, but still spent the winter break in the relegation zone in 18th place, albeit just a single step behind Valencia. In January, they managed to claim a crucial win against a direct rival, Mallorca. In the latest round against Osasuna, they added three more points and, with one strong surge, moved from the danger zone to almost the middle of the table. These recent results have clearly boosted Girona’s morale and belief. Their current form suggests that the team are finally finding stability and momentum at a crucial stage of the season.
In the last seven official meetings, Girona have not lost. However, both of the most recent matches ended in draws. It seems time for the hosts to return to winning ways. The pick is Espanyol to defeat their neighbors, who may no longer fight with the same desperation after their recent successes.
Prediction for the match: Espanyol to win.
