After a stumble midweek, Real Madrid will be eager to get back to winning ways when they travel to Girona on Saturday.
Madrid's run of three wins in La Liga was snapped with a 2-1 loss to Athletic Bilbao at San Mames on Wednesday. After Athletic went ahead in the 53rd minute, Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty to draw even with just over 20 minutes left to play.
Jude Bellingham would equalize in the 78th minute, but Gorka Guruzeta would make the most of a defensive error to score the winner just two minutes later.
With FC Barcelona 's win over Mallorca on Tuesday, the gap between Real and the league leaders is back to four points, although Los Blancos have a game in hand.
Girona, meanwhile, are struggling to live up to the lofty expectations they set when they finished in third position last season. The Catalan club is sitting in eighth place with six wins, four draws and five losses through 15 games.
Michel's side are winless in their last three games in all competitions, including a defeat on penalties to lower-league side Logrones in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.
Girona's last outing in La Liga resulted in a 2-2 draw with Villarreal CF on Sunday.
Where to Watch Real Madrid vs Girona
Real Madrid
When: Saturday, December 7 – 3PM ET / 12PM PT
Where: Estadi Municipal De Montilivi, Girona
TV/Streaming in the United States: ESPN+, ESPN Deportes
TV/Streaming in Canada: TSN+
Girona Projected Lineup vs Real Madrid
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Michel will be without key players Viktor Tsygankov and Yangel Herrera when his side hosts the defending champions on Saturday.
Former Manchester United and Ajax defender Daley Blind will likely lead the backline, while Barcelona loanee Oriol Romeu runs the midfield. Former Premier League players Donny van de Beek and Bryan Gil should also get the start, with Arnaut Danjuma relegated to the bench after failing to score a single goal in a Girona kit so far.
Girona predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Paulo Gazzaniga (GK) – Arnau Martinez, David Lopez, Daley Blind, Miguel Gutierrez – Jhon Solis, Oriol Romeu – Ivan Martin, Donny van de Beek, Bryan Gil – Bojan Miovski.
Real Madrid Projected Lineup vs Girona
Jude Bellingham
With Vinicius Jr. still out with a thigh injury, Mbappe and Rodrygo will likely form a strike pair up top against Girona for Carlo Ancelotti.
Youngster Raul Asencio should get another start in the center of defense as Madrid continue to deal with long-term injuries to Eder Militao and David Alaba.
Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Carvajal are also unavailable for selection.
Real Madrid predicted lineup (4-4-2): Thibaut Courtois (GK) – Lucas Vazquez, Raul Asencio, Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy – Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Dani Ceballos, Jude Bellingham – Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappe.
Real Madrid vs Girona Head-to-Head History
Real Madrid Girona
Real Madrid and Girona have only met on 10 previous occasions, with the Galacticos winning six of the encounters. Madrid beat Girona on both occasions last season, winning 3-0 and 4-0 on their way to the La Liga title.
Real Madrid vs Girona - Last 5 Meetings
February 10, 2024
September 30, 2023
April 25, 2023
October 30, 2022
February 17, 2019
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