In the final match of Round 25 in La Liga, Girona hopes to reignite its surprising title bid in a tough away outing against Athletic Club on Monday.
Girona needs to get Artem Dovbyk firing again to have a chance of catching Real Madrid. Bookmaker 10bet offers odds at 3.00 for the Ukrainian ace to register at least two shots on target Monday night. The odds are at 9.00 for him to have three-plus shots on target and 21.00 for Dovbyk to record a minimum of four shots on target.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: February 18th, 5:30 A.M. (EST)
With Dovbyk leading the line, Girona has been among the most prolific sides in the top five leagues in Europe this season, but Michel Sanchez’s side has suddenly fired blanks in three of the last five league outings. Last round’s 4-0 defeat to Real was particularly painful, as it gave Los Blancos a five-point lead ahead of Girona at the top of the table.
There is now very little room for error left for Girona in terms of the title race. However, considering the club’s stature, a top-four finish and Champions League qualification would also be a massive achievement. In that regard, Monday’s match-up could be a key clash, as Athletic also seeks to get back into the Champions League for the first time since 2014-15.
The Basques sit fifth in the table with a five-point gap with the top four. They are 10 points behind Girona and can’t afford to lose on Monday to have a realistic shot of catching the Catalan side.
Similarly to Girona, Athletic has also struggled to score lately, netting in only one of the last four league outings. But Ernesto Valverde’s men will have the backing of the home fans Monday night, and playing at San Mames is typically a nightmare for visiting sides.
Athletic has won nine of 12 home fixtures this season, losing once, and the Lions are currently riding a six-game winning streak at home – it’s Athletic’s longest home winning streak in the league since a seven-game run in 1998.
It’s very tough to score goals against Athletic, and Valverde has also found a good synergy up top this season, with Gorka Guruzeta in good goal-scoring form and linking up play well. He missed last round’s 0-0 draw against Almeria with a hamstring injury but should be back in contention for Monday’s key fixture.
