La Liga Clash: Leganes Host Girona in Relegation Six-Pointer
Thursday night’s La Liga match at the Estadio Municipal Butarque pits Leganes against Girona in a crucial relegation battle. The hosts secured a valuable point at the weekend, drawing 0-0 with Mallorca, while Girona suffered another defeat, losing 3-1 to Real Betis on Monday.
Leganes’ draw with Mallorca narrowed the gap with Girona, who have now lost several matches in a row. The hosts are 19th in the table, but Borja Jimenez’s side is still within touching distance of safety. According to Sports Mole, Leganes have had a tough run of fixtures, losing by a single goal to Real Madrid, Real Betis, and Celta Vigo, and by a similar margin to Barcelona.
Despite being one of the least in-form teams currently fighting relegation, Leganes managed a potentially vital point at the weekend. However, this did extend their winless run to six matches, with only two points taken in that time. Sports Mole notes that fine margins have often gone against them, with their recent defeats being by fine margins.
In contrast, Girona’s season has been extraordinary, equalling the club record for their longest winless run in the top flight. Michel’s men have now gone 10 successive matches without victory, and their away form has been particularly concerning. They have taken just one point from their last six matches on the road, conceding 14 goals in that time. As Sports Mole reports, Girona’s remaining fixtures look very difficult, with Mallorca, Villarreal, Real Sociedad, and Atletico Madrid all to come.
The head-to-head record between the two teams favours Girona, who have never lost on six previous visits to Leganes. They have also lost only one of their last 13 matches against the hosts across all venues. However, Sports Mole expects Leganes to be in expectant mood, given their kinder set of fixtures to finish the season.
In terms of team news, Leganes will have striker Daniel Raba back from suspension, while Girona will be boosted by the return of defender Miguel Gutierrez. However, striker Abel Ruiz missed out after playing just two games following his return from a previous injury. As Sports Mole notes, Girona have struggled to replace the goals of Artem Dovbyk, with Cristhian Stuani being the club’s top scorer on eight, despite only playing 20-minute cameos most weeks.
Predicted lineups for the match are:
Leganes: Dmitrovic; Rosier, Gonzalez, Saenz, Hernandez; Rodriguez, Tapia, Cisse; Diomande, Garcia, Raba
Girona: Gazzaniga; Frances, Krejci, Blind, Gutierrez; Tsygankov, Herrera, Arthur, Van de Beek, Asprilla; Danjuma
Sports Mole predicts a 1-1 draw between the two teams, with Leganes set to face many of the clubs in and around the relegation battle. This match has huge implications for both teams’ survival hopes, and Sports Mole provides in-depth analysis and predictions for the match.
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