Two worlds collide at Montilivi on Friday. Girona, bottom of the table with just two points, are fighting for survival, while Espanyol, in fourth place with eleven points, have made a surprisingly strong start to the season. Míchel’s team is in deep crisis. After the bitter 1-1 draw at San Mamés against Athletic, where Ounahi had given the team an early lead, the coach is under enormous pressure. The injury to van de Beek, who tore his Achilles tendon and may miss the rest of the season, further exacerbates an already precarious situation. Espanyol, on the other hand, has been completely transformed under Manolo González. Monday’s 2-2 draw with Valencia once again confirmed the strong form of the Catalans, who are one of the surprises of the league with only one defeat in six games. They are just two points behind Villarreal, while Athletic are only one point ahead. The head-to-head record clearly favors the hosts: Girona are unbeaten against Espanyol and won 4-1 at Montilivi last time out. Interestingly, despite their disastrous position in the table, the bookmakers see the home side as slight favorites, underlining the importance of home advantage.
- Venue: Estadi Municipal de Montilivi, Girona
- Date and time: 09/26/2025, 9:00 p.m.
- Competition: Primera División (Matchday 7)
Girona form & record check
The situation at FC Girona is dramatic. With only two points from six games, the club is at the bottom of the table, level on points with Mallorca. The statistics speak for themselves: in the last five league games, the team has not won a single game, conceded goals in every half and failed to score a single goal in the second half. Particularly alarming was the recent 0-4 defeat against Levante in front of their home crowd. After Witsel’s red card in the 30th minute and Vitor Reis’ second yellow card shortly after the break, the house of cards collapsed. The fans reacted with chants of “Directiva dimisión” (board resign), and some left the stadium early. It was already the third defeat in a row after the bitter 5-0 loss in Villarreal. At least there was a slight improvement in the 1-1 draw against Athletic in San Mamés. Ounahi gave Girona an early lead after Bryan Gil had set him up perfectly. The Moroccan was the discovery of the game, even hitting the crossbar. But the weakness in the second half manifested itself again when Jauregizar scored the equalizer. Personnel problems are also getting worse. Van de Beek suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury and could be out for months. Tsygankov is still out with an injury, while Míchel emphasizes despite the crisis: “I don’t feel challenged, I’m very strong.”
Míchel is likely to stick with his tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 formation, even though personnel concerns are mounting. Following van de Beek’s serious injury, which may have torn his Achilles tendon, Ounahi will take on an even more important role in the attack. The Moroccan has recently put in strong performances at San Mamés and could play behind striker Vanat. In defense, Francés is likely to retain his place after his impressive performance against Athletic Bilbao. The absences of Tsygankov and Juan Carlos further limit the options, so Bryan Gil and Portu could occupy the wing positions. Gazzaniga is likely to start in goal again after his important saves in the Basque Country.
Espanyol Form & Record Check
Espanyol are in impressive form under Manolo González and are fourth in the table with eleven points. They are only two points behind Villarreal in third place, which underlines the Catalans’ ambitions. They are only one point above Athletic Club. Their most recent match against Valencia ended 2-2, highlighting both the Pericos’ offensive power and their defensive weaknesses. They have conceded goals in four of their last five games, trailing at halftime in 80% of those matches. Nevertheless, the team is showing remarkable morale, with three wins during this phase. Espanyol’s current goal-scoring threat is particularly striking. Pere Milla is proving to be a reliable finisher, while Roberto Fernández’s precision in front of goal provides additional firepower. The statistics show that the team has scored in four of its last five appearances. The 3-2 win against Mallorca just over a week ago impressively demonstrated the qualities of González’s team. The 1-0 win against Osasuna also showed that Espanyol can keep their cool in tight games. Against Real Madrid, the team even managed to keep up for long stretches before losing 2-0. The current run of three games without defeat gives the team confidence for the tasks ahead.
Manolo González is likely to stick with his tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 formation, which has seen the team put in some convincing performances recently. Dmitrovic is expected to start in goal, while the defense could consist of El Hilali, Riedel, Cabrera, and Romero. Romero had to be treated for a bleeding head wound against Real Madrid after Mastantuono caught him with a high boot. The central midfield is likely to consist of Lozano and Expósito, with Dolan, Pickel, and the experienced Puado taking care of the attacking positions behind them. Kike García will probably lead the attack up front. However, this lineup is only a prediction; González will announce the final starting eleven shortly before kickoff.
H2H Girona – Espanyol Head-to-head comparison & statistics
The last five encounters between Girona and Espanyol paint an interesting picture: the Catalans from Girona remain unbeaten against Espanyol, with two wins and three draws. Espanyol have never won in these encounters. The most recent meeting in July 2025 ended goalless, a friendly that allows little conclusion to be drawn about the balance of power. Much more telling was Girona’s 4-1 win in November 2024 in the league, a clear statement against the Pericos. There is a noticeable tendency for low-scoring first halves between the two teams. In 80% of the encounters, the score remained goalless at half-time, which suggests tactically-minded duels. Girona has not conceded a goal in any first half against Espanyol, while Espanyol has never scored in this phase. The statistics speak for themselves: Girona clearly dominates this pairing and has had the upper hand in direct duels. Espanyol is still waiting for its first win against the Gironins in recent years.
While the betting market sees Girona as slight favorites with odds of 2.4, the current data tells a different story. The double chance bet on X2 at 1.53 offers solid value, as Girona has collected just one point in five games and is losing its most important creative mind in Tsygankov. Espanyol, on the other hand, has gone unbeaten in four of its last five games and travels to Montilivi full of confidence. A direct win for the Pericos at 3.0 is certainly appealing, considering that Girona has lost its last two home games 0-2 and 0-4. The goal market will be particularly interesting: Both teams to score: Yes appears to be the safest option at 1.70, as Girona has conceded in every game, while Espanyol scores regularly. The second half promises to be spectacular, as Michel’s defense has collapsed in all five games after the break, conceding ten goals. Over 1.5 goals in the second half makes perfect sense given the current defensive weaknesses of both teams, especially as Pere Milla and Vanat are particularly dangerous after the break.
