The Matchday 17 La Liga fixture between Girona and Atletico Madrid will take place on December 21 at the Montilivi Stadium. Girona – Atletico Madrid: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Girona
The Catalans are edging closer to finally escaping the relegation zone. A week ago Girona somewhat unexpectedly beat Real Sociedad (2-1), ending a three-match winless run in La Liga (2 draws, 1 defeat). Over the last 11 rounds the side have suffered just three defeats, though they have also managed only three wins in that period. Overall, the club remains 18th primarily due to a disastrous start to the campaign. Gradually Girona have grown more confident and have now levelled up on points with two rivals. Other teams in the bottom half are not far behind.
- The Catalans have conceded in 8 of their last 9 league matches.
- Girona's unbeaten run at home in this competition stands at 5 matches (2 wins, 3 draws).
- This season the team have shipped 30 goals in La Liga, the worst defensive record in the division.
Predicted Girona starting XI (4-2-3-1)
Paulo Gazzaniga – Arnau Martínez, Daley Blind, Vítor Reis, Álex Moreno – Axel Witsel, Iván Martín – Viktor Tsyhankov, Bryan Gil, Azzedine Ounahi – Vladyslav Vanat.
Out through injury: goalkeepers Juan Carlos Martín and Vladyslav Krapivtsov, defender David López, midfielder Donny van de Beek, and forwards Abel Ruiz, Christian Stuani and Portu.
Atletico Madrid
At the start of winter the club suffered two successive La Liga defeats, having lost only once in their first 16 matches. Still, Atletico did not fall apart and last week avoided another slip-up by securing an important 2-1 win over Valencia. The Madrid side have maintained their gap behind Real and Barcelona, and are now just one point behind Villarreal — although Villarreal have two games in hand. Atletico have conceded in each of their last three La Liga matches, but across the season they have let in 16 goals — the second-best defensive record in the division after Villarreal (13).
- The club have scored in 18 of their last 19 league games.
- The Madrid side's unbeaten sequence in the competition stands at 9 matches (7 wins, 2 defeats).
- No more than two goals were scored in 6 of Atletico's last 7 La Liga matches.
Predicted Atletico Madrid starting XI (4-4-2)
Jan Oblak – Nahuel Molina, Marc Pubill, David Gанцко, Matteo Ruggeri – Pablo Barrios, Koke, Nicolás González, Giuliano Simeone – Alexander Sørloth, Julián Álvarez.
Defenders José María Giménez and Clément Lenglet are unavailable through injury. The involvement of midfielders Marcos Llorente and Álex Baena is doubtful.
Girona vs Atletico Madrid: Match Prediction
Girona continue to climb out of the relegation zone. After a difficult start to the season the side have lost only 3 of their last 11 La Liga matches (3 wins, 5 draws), and all those defeats during this run came away from home. The club's unbeaten home run in the league has reached five matches (2 wins, 3 draws). However, on Sunday they face a very strong and awkward opponent. Girona have taken points from only one of their last seven league meetings with Atletico, and last season they suffered two heavy defeats by a combined 0-7.
Atletico began December with two La Liga defeats in a row, but last weekend the team halted that run with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Valencia. Diego Simeone's side have eased some pressure and remain in the hunt for the top spots. Atletico have won 7 of their last 9 league matches, with their only slip-ups against Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao during that stretch.
Most likely the visitors will take all three points again. Prediction – Atletico Madrid to win
* The starting XI for each team is taken from their most recent match in this competition.
