Girona Can Actually Win Their First Trophy in the Copa del Rey

Girona vs Rayo Vallecano

Girona missed the golden opportunity to increase their lead at the top of the La Liga table after they were somehow held to a draw by Almeria, but they can make amends by making significant inroads towards winning their first major trophy in club history here in the Copa del Rey.

Michel’s men won their first three Copa del Rey games, so they’re now in the Round of 16, where they’ll host Rayo Vallecano at the Estadio Montilivi this Wednesday night.

Like Girona, Rayo Vallecano have made it this far. But in the Spanish top-flight, they have been quite inconsistent compared to their hosts.

So, the hosts are favoured to win this game, but can the visitors somehow defy the pre-game SBOTOP betting odds?

Talking Points

Girona to lose another defencive stalwart

The goalless draw between Girona and Almeria was easily the most surprising result last weekend, given the huge disparity between these two sides, with Girona being a title contender this season and Almeria being a relegation candidate.

Even if Girona took a one-point lead in the standings because of the draw, this still feels like a loss to many, especially with Real Madrid having a winnable game in hand against, you guessed it, Almeria.

Unlike in their previous matches, Girona registered only one shot on target for the entire game, while Almeria had 20 total shots, with three of them on target. And if it weren’t for Paulo Gazzaniga’s crucial saves, Girona would’ve lost the game.

Defencive midfielder Aleix Garcia was given his marching orders in the 80^th minute after he held Gonzalo Melero from behind when the Almeria midfielder was trying to get past Gazzaniga at the edge of the box.

A straight red card means that Garcia will not only miss this Copa del Rey tiff against Rayo Vallecano, but also their upcoming La Liga matches against Sevilla and Celta Vigo.

Garcia’s absence is a huge blow for Girona this season since you could argue that he’s one of the league’s best midfielders, not named Jude Bellingham. The 26-year-old currently has three goals and four assists this term.

Former Madrid youngsters have something to prove

Rayo Vallecano have picked up their form after winning against Getafe in La Liga and Huesca in the Copa del Rey Round of 32 last week (both by 2-0). In those two games, Sergio Camello (brace) and Isi Palazon found the back of the net three times.

This means that Camello and Palazon are now joint-second-leading scorers behind Alvaro Garcia, with two goals and one assist each so far this season.

Sergio Camello joined Rayo Vallecano last summer since he was deemed a surplus for Atletico Madrid. The 22-year-old is far from a finished article, so he should only get better.

On the other hand, Isi Palazon considers Rayo Vallecano his home after spending his last three seasons there. Prior to that, the Cieza-born winger was once a top youngster at Real Madrid, but he hasn’t lived up to the hype.

History

Girona beat Rayo Vallecano earlier this season with a 2-1 scoreline last November, as Artem Dovbyk and Savio scored one goal apiece to erase the one-goal lead of Rayo Vallecano when Alvaro Garcia scored in just five minutes.

Rayo Vallecano haven’t won any of their last three meetings against Girona across all competitions (D2, L1) since a 2-1 win in January 2022.

In the Copa del Rey, neither Girona nor Rayo Vallecano have reached the final, let alone won the whole thing.

Last season, Girona couldn’t get past Cacereno in the second round of the Copa del Rey. Meanwhile, Sporting Gijon eliminated Rayo Vallecano in the Round of 32.

According to the Copa del Rey 2024 updates, the winner of this Round of 16 tie will take on the winner of the Madrid Derby between Los Rojiblancos and Los Blancos.

Betting Tip

The Copa del Rey 2024 odds have Girona likely to advance to the next round, as they are installed at 1.79, while Rayo Vallecano are at 3.98 odds, and a draw is at 3.44 in the 1X2 market.

Because of their defencive woes, Girona have to win this one in a shootout yet again, and Total Goal 2-3 at 1.87 should be just enough for them to get the job done at home, while Over 2.75 at 2.06 is another possibility.

Furthermore, a Correct Score of 2-1 in favour of Girona – the result of their most recent encounter with Rayo Vallecano – is being offered at 7.20.

 

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