Page 15 - Soccer360 Issue 105

IMPORTANT FIXTURES
MARCH
17- Atletico Madrid v Barcelona
31- Real Madrid v Athletic Club
31- Girona v Real Betis
31- Cadiz v Granada (Relagation Battle)
APRIL
14- Atletico Madrid v Girona
21- Real Madrid v Barcelona
(El Clasico)
28- Atletico Madrid v Athletic Club
28- Real Betis v Sevilla (Seville Derby)
28- Cadiz v Mallorca (Relagation Battle)
MAY
5- Girona v Barcelona
12- Barcelona v Real Sociedad
18- Real Betis v Real Sociedad
26- Real Madrid v Real Betis
26- Real Sociedad v Atletico Madrid
CAN GIRONA
ACHIEVE THE
IMPOSSIBLE?
Dan Roberts wonders whether Girona can cause one of the biggest upsets in recent European football history and win the La Liga title this season.
ABOVE:
Viktor Tsygankov of Girona FC celebrates
LEFT:
Robert Lewandowski (FC Barcelona) celebrates after scoring his team’s
first goal during the La Liga EA Sports between FC Barcelona and Girona FC
It has been 20 years since any other team apart from Real Madrid, Barcelona, or Atletico Madrid has won the Spanish league title. It was Valencia who claimed that honour, their 2003-04 triumph coming just two years after their previous one. It heralded the end of a hugely successful period for the club under the guidance of Rafael Benitez, winning European and domestic titles most years for a while. It also brought
in another era of Madrid and Barcelona dominance - but is that about to change? Girona have spent much of their existence scrapping away in the lower levels of Spanish football and only played in La Liga for the first time ever
in 2017. It is perhaps not a surprise to learn that 2017 was also the year that City Football Group - the company that also owns Manchester City and a host of other clubs around the world - took over at Girona. The last few years have seen the club bounce around between the
top two tiers but this season the team from the north-east of Spain has played beyond all expectations and has been able to keep up a title challenge into the start of the year.
It has been far from a fluke too, with
an exciting attacking style overcoming everyone aside from Real Madrid so
far. New big-name arrivals, such as the experienced Daley Blind, have helped but Girona will still be cheered on as
the underdog as the season goes on.
A season that might just have a real fairytale ending.
Real Betis’ Assane Diao became
the youngest at
18 years and 24 days to score in his initial two
La Liga starts
on 1 October, surpassing Athletic Bilbao’s Markel Susaeta’s record from 2007.
After the emphatic 4-0 win over Girona, Jude Bellingham became
the first Real Madrid midfielder in the 21st century to score more than 15 goals in a single La Liga with many games still left in the season to play
the naysayers are counting Girona out of being able to claim what would be the
most unexpected La Liga title in decades. This, after all, is a club whose honours list extends as far as a second-tier title almost 20 years ago and a solitary regional trophy. On paper, their squad doesn’t even compare. The money from their owners has obviously helped but this is still a club that has no right to be worrying Real Madrid and Barcelona at this late stage of the season.
With 11 matchdays remaining, the Opta supercomputer predicted a 97.5% chance for Real Madrid to win the title, a significant increase from their preseason projection of 45%
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