Preview: Sevilla vs. Girona
Sevilla will be bidding to make it five straight wins in all competitions when they continue their La Liga campaign at home to Girona Tonight.
Jose Luis Mendilibar’s side will enter the match off the back of a 1-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao on Thursday evening, while Girona were 4-2 winners over Real Madrid earlier in the week.
This Sevilla are unrecognisable from the one that has struggled for much of the campaign, with the team winning each of their last four matches in all competitions, including the famous 3-0 success over Manchester United in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final.
Mendilibar’s side have also won their last three league games against Valencia, Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao, while they have picked up 13 points from their last five La Liga fixtures during an excellent run.
Los Nervionenses appeared to be heading for a goalless draw against Athletic on Thursday night, but a 92nd-minute penalty from Lucas Ocampos secured all three points for the visitors to San Mames.
Sevilla had been in trouble towards the bottom of the division, but they are now up in 11th position in the table, 10 points clear of the relegation zone and just five points behind sixth-placed Athletic Bilbao.
At the time of writing, the Europa League semi-finalists are just eight points off sixth-placed Real Betis, which is a remarkable turnaround, and they appear to have found their best form at the perfect time of the season.
Girona, meanwhile, will enter the match off the back of a 4-2 win over Real Madrid on Tuesday, which made it three victories in their last five games in Spain’s top flight.
Valentin Castellanos scored four times during a stunning performance against Carlo Ancelotti’s side, with the result moving the Catalan outfit onto 41 points from their 31 matches, which has left them in 10th, level on points with 11th-placed Sevilla ahead of this match.
Michel’s side were promoted to La Liga via last season’s Segunda Division playoffs, so any position above 18th would be considered a hugely successful campaign.
Girona have certainly performed above expectations, and their success has been built on an excellent home record, which is the fourth-best in the league, claiming 30 points from 16 matches.
The White and Reds have actually won their last two games against Sevilla, meanwhile, both of which have been on home soil, including a 2-1 success in the corresponding match between the two sides in the middle of January.
Sevilla La Liga form:
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Sevilla form (all competitions):
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Girona La Liga form:
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We say: Sevilla 1-0 Girona
Both of these sides will be in a confident mood heading into this match, but Girona’s away record this season has been disappointing, winning just two of their 15 matches, losing eight times in the process. Sevilla are on a roll at the moment, and we are expecting the hosts to claim all three points.