With Girona emerging as surprise contenders in the 2023/24 LALIGA title race after a fabulous start to the season, can they go all the way?
Considering the way they have approached this season, the side could be considered to be the Spanish top flight's version of Leicester City who broke the trend of either Manchester United, Manchester City or Chelsea winning the league title when they achieved the incredible feat of lifting the Premier League title in 2016.
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Like Leicester, Girona are considered to be underdogs as they battle it out for the top spot against giants FC Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Real Madrid. The Blanquivermells are currently in second place, level on points with leaders Los Blancos, who are fist courtesy of a better goal difference – both sides are on 38 points after 15 matches, losing one, drawing two, and winning the rest. Surprisingly, Girona have scored one goal more than Real Madrid have but they have also conceded nine more strikes than their title-contending rivals.
Applaudably, Girona had more points than the Foxes had after 15 games in the most successful campaign in their history. After 15 matches, the English side had 32 points. Leicester showed no signs of letting up and neither do the current Spanish underdogs who have Barcelona breathing down their necks on 34 points.
However, the Blanquivermells look to be a dangerous side with their attacking prowess, with goals coming from more than one source, but Ukrainian forward Artem Dovbyk has stood out with seven goals and four assists in 14 matches. He is also an imposing player who has that important ability to link up with surrounding attackers and seems to be quite impressive with the ball at his feet.
Girona seem to have found two gems in the Ukrainian market because another standout player, Viktor Tsyhankov, has been pegged by some to become a superstar. He has been lauded for his role in the Girona front-line with three goals and two assists in 13 matches, and being only 26, one would hope that this is not a purple patch that he is experiencing as his side will need their forward players in fine nick if they are to overcome the deadly attack of their rivals over the course of a long, gruelling season. Overall, Girona have scored 2.27 goals per game with a strike every 40 minutes, according to FootyStats.
Another aspect that Girona need to have in order to stay in the running and go all the way is a bit of luck when it comes to injuries. If they are able to keep their key players fit throughout the season, they may just be able to achieve the impossible. Being injury-free was a key part of Leicester's league triumph as the side, according to the Mirror, had 18 injuries during that 2015/16 campaign, which was the least number of injuries recorded by any EPL team that year.
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The Blanquivermells' next big test that will have an effect on the title race will come on Sunday against the Blaugrana, who will be determined to close the gap on their rivals. Girona, on the other hand, will be licking their lips at the prospect of widening the gap between them and Barca by seven points, which may not seem like a lot at this point in the campaign, but may count significantly towards the end of the season when things really begin to heat up and the pressure really begins to mount.
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