Alavés have officially secured their La Liga status with four matches to spare following an impressive victory at Valencia on the final day. This marks the second time this calendar year that the side has strung together three consecutive league wins, and they did so in style, keeping clean sheets in all three victories while scoring a total of six goals.
Having never finished in the top half of La Liga since the 2016/17 campaign, Alavés manager Luis García will be keen for his current crop of players to lay the foundations for next season. To do so, they will likely need to take points from two of the top three, including Friday night’s opponents Girona, who inflicted their heaviest defeat of the season upon them back in December, hammering them 3-0.
Approaching the end of what has been their best season in club history to date, Míchel’s Girona side have already qualified for the Champions League (UCL) for the first time in their history and have marked a return to form with a resounding 4-2 victory over Barcelona last weekend, reclaiming control in the fight for second place.
Girona have won four of their last five outings (1D), and the victory against Barcelona was the ninth league match of the season in which they have scored at least four goals. The Catalans have averaged over two goals per game, and with an average of 3.38 goals across their 34 league matches played this season – the highest of any La Liga team – entertainment should be on the agenda for this clash.
Players to Watch: Carlos Benavídez has taken 14 shots in La Liga since the start of the season for Alavés, six of those coming in the last three matches, with two goals to his name. Artem Dovbyk has been Girona’s talismanic figure throughout the season. With six goals and one assist in his last five appearances, he is in fine form.
Hot Stat: Girona have already scored in both halves away from home six times in La Liga this season, only FC Barcelona (9) can boast a better record.
Prediction: Alavés 2- 1 Girona
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings