La Liga: Girona Continue Their Cinderella Run

Rayo Vallecano vs Girona FC

Michel’s Girona test their longevity at the top of the La Liga standings as they visit Estadio de Vallecas to face Rayo Vallecano. After holding their own against Real Madrid, Francisco and the rest of Los Franjirrojos are again faced with a tall order as they try to defend their home turf against a budding Girona squad.

Rayo Vallecano have proved that they are a tough matchup for any club in the Spanish top flight. They haven’t tasted defeat in any of their last eight La Liga matches, which included a tough October slate and a commendable effort against Real Madrid. But the worst is yet to come for Rayo, as they go against Girona, Barcelona, and Bilbao consecutively.

Meanwhile, Girona manager Michel is more worried about his own club’s development and chemistry than their upcoming adversaries. Some would say Girona are already playing with house money, but that doesn’t slow down their efforts to solidify themselves as one of La Liga’s top teams.

Talking Points

Michel Sanchez is taking strides

The stars have aligned for Michel and the rest of Girona, as they find themselves at the top of the Spanish top flight. After 12 games into the young La Liga season, Girona have accumulated 31 points and scored a league-leading 290 goals. It was a long way to the top, especially for a newly promoted club, but Michel has his head over his shoulders, and it seems like Girona is in good hands with the 48-year-old Spaniard at the helm.

Michel has realistic goals for his young team, and even though they have already overachieved this season, he still keeps his head down and takes it one game at a time. One of their impressive outings was against a threatening Osasuna, where both teams lit it up offensively and showcased La Liga 2023 highlights along the way.

“I was very afraid of this match as I feared that they would impose their game on ours, but we were the ones who did it.” Michel stated after their 2-4 win at Osasuna. “I dream of this, of being able to be in the league of Real, Athletic, Rayo, etc. Now I do dream of that league. The goal of permanence is close and without stopping thinking about that goal but taking one more step.” he exclaimed.

The next challenge for the budding Girona squad is longevity. They have yet to face stronger adversaries, and it would be interesting to see how they fare against La Liga’s best. But for now, Rayo Vallecano will be the ones to try and strip them of their top seed.

Rayo Vallecano spoils Real Madrid’s chance at the top

Los Franjirrojos have been at a steady pace in La Liga this season. Although they have set a club record for their longest unbeaten run in the top flight, Francisco’s team is still ninth in the league table. In their last five La Liga matches, Rayo Vallecano were able to fend off strong adversaries such as Real Madrid and Sociedad, but were only able to secure one victory in the process.

Rayo Vallecano visited the intimidating Santiago Bernabéu Stadium to face Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid. A win for Madrid would place them atop the La Liga standings, a place where most fans would expect the Los Blancos to be.

It was evident that Real was the better club, as they were able to control the ball, set the tempo, and orchestrate on both sides of the field pretty early on. Valverde had a great opportunity to score an early goal for the home squad, but thanks to Stole Dimitrievski’s impressive reaction time, Valverde’s convincing attempt at the goal came to an abrupt end.

The Los Blancos kept the match to their tempo and unleashed a flurry of attacks on Rayo’s defences, but

Dimitrievski stood tall and became an impenetrable bulwark, deflecting every strike that came his way. Rayito’s defence came through for Francisco, as they successfully fended off 22 Real Madrid shots.

Meanwhile, Rayito’s offence had a quiet night; with only four attempts at the goal and having just 36% of possession, they had little to no chance of scoring against Real Madrid.

It was more of the same in the second half, where Madrid kept the pressure on possession after possession only to be stopped at the goal. Stole had a career night, resulting in a 0-0 draw at the end of regulation. With this wasted opportunity, Real Madrid missed their chance to top the league table and instead conceded the top spot to a surprising Girona team.

This time, it would be Girona’s turn to take a crack at Rayo Vallecano’s impenetrable defence, and prove that their place at the top of the La Liga standings is no fluke.

History

History sides with Girona, as they have been undefeated in any of their four La Liga matches against Rayo Vallecano. But Girona have been shaky at Estadio de Vallecas, having lost two of their last five away games against Los Franjirrojos.

Girona have won 10 of their last 12 matches in the Spanish top flight, with their only loss coming to the mightiest Real Madrid, who embarrassed the Reds with a 0-3 clean sheet at Montilivi.

Meanwhile, Francisco’s club has been unbeaten in any of their last eight matches in La Liga, fending off the likes of Real Madrid and Real Sociedad and even beating the budding Las Palmas at Gran Canaria.

Betting Tip

It looks like Girona still have a lot to prove, as the SBOTOP La Liga 2023 betting odds priced this match without a clear favourite to come out as the victor. Even though Girona are atop the league table, the odds suggest that their longevity has not been enough to price them as heavy favourites, even against a midfield team.

Rayo Vallecano are the slight underdogs at 2.70, while Girona are priced at 2.28. Punters may see Girona’s price as great value, and this writer agrees. Michel’s team has been on a hot streak, and there are no convincing signs that Rayo Vallecano can be the team to pull them down the league table.

Goals over 2.50 are, in my opinion, the safest line punters should consider, and it reflects how potent the offence of these clubs have been. Girona have scored the most goals in the Spanish top flight so far, with 29, while Rayo Vallecano have scored 14 goals themselves.

 

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