The Catalan outfit surprised everyone by finishing third in the 2023/24 campaign, qualifying for this season’s Champions League in the process.
However, following a summer that’s seen them lose a number of key stars from last year, our expert isn’t keen on Girona’s ability to replicate last year’s heroics this time around.
La Liga Top 4 Finish Odd
Odds courtesy of BetMGM. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Team | La Liga Top 4 Finish Odds |
Real Madrid | 1/40 |
Barcelona | 1/4 |
Atletico Madrid | 3/5 |
Girona | 7/4 |
Athletic Club | 7/4 |
Second Half Slump a Sign of Things to Come
Girona were incredible during the first half of last season, with the White and Reds spending five gameweeks at the top of the table, up until the midway point of the season, wth almost every gameweek seeing them in the top four.
However, they suffered a noticeable drop off after Christmas, with Girona going from losing just one of their first 23 games to losing six of their last 15.
This was always going to happen, especially when you consider their defensive record, as only one top half side conceded more than Girona last term, a factor that ended up derailing their title chances come the end of the campaign.
Girona will be very hard pushed to replicate the run they put together in the first half of last season given their schedule this time around, a key factor that we think will have a big effect on their top four chances this term.
Transfers Taking Their Toll
It’s not wrong to say that Girona haven’t had a stellar transfer window so far this season, with the Catalan outfit already losing a number of players that played key roles for them last year.
The likes of Yan Cuoto, Eric Garcia, Aleix Garcia, Savio and Pablo Torre, all of whom played at least 29 times each last year and contributed a total of 21 goals between them, have all gone this summer.
They’ve lost a large part of the spine of their 2023/24 squad, with it set to be very tricky for Girona to adequately replace these players going forward.
Abel Ruiz has been brought in from Braga, however he’s never recorded more than eight goals in a season, whilst their other signings, Ladislav Krejci and Donny van de Beek are either unproven or seriously lacking game time.
Champions League Fatigue
As already stated, Girona are playing in the Champions League for the first time in their history this season, a factor that’ll definitely make it harder for them to qualify for the CL this time around.
This is especially true given the new CL format means sides will have even more group stage games to play, with this increasing from six to eight this term, with games taking place up until January.
Girona’s squad is already noticeably smaller than last year, with these extra games looking like they could take their toll on the Catalan outfit going forward.
In addition, teams that qualify for the CL having not been in it last year normally always struggle the season after.
Real Sociedad are a prime example, with the Basque outfit having to play CL football last year, a factor that contributed to them finishing 16 points outside the top four this time around.
The same can be said for Sevilla the year before, whose CL campaign played a role in them finishing 12th having made the top four the campaign prior.