Girona, between the excitement of opening its locker in the Champions League and the absences

The moment of truth has arrived for Girona in the Champions League. The Catalan team, which with a fearsome schedule only aims to enjoy its debut in the top club competition of the Old Continent, faces one of the few affordable duels that the group stage of the competition will have in store for it.

After the defeats against PSG in the Parc des Princes and against Feyenoord in Montilivi, too much punishment for what they showed on the field of play in both games, Girona receives Slovan de Bratislava in their fiefdom, a priori a rival of smaller entity but has managed to establish itself among the best in Europe since its early entry into the tournament in the second qualifying round.

Girona’s enthusiasm for making its debut in the Champions League contrasts with its current complicated reality. Míchel‘s team is paying for the demands of the Champions League with a plague of injuries and a noticeable drop in results in the League, where it is in the temperate zone with twelve points, far from the dream figures of last year, when at this point it added 25 of the 30 possible points and was co-leader.

Montilivi’s team is fighting this season against the physical and mental demands derived from its own success, which translates into up to seven confirmed absences and two serious doubts for the duel against Slovan. Míchel does not have goalkeeper Pau López, due to bone edema in his right hand; the midfielders Oriol Romeu and Jhon Solís, injured in the femoral biceps; and the wingers Bryan Gil, Asprilla, with two right ankle sprains, Tsygankov, also with a femoral biceps ailment, and Portu, who had ankle surgery. Adding to that long list of absences are doubts with defender Blind, who is completing his recovery from a soleus injury, and forward Abel Ruiz, suffering from muscle discomfort.

Many conditions when putting together the eleven that must attack Girona’s first victory in the Champions League. Against a rival that has not scored points until now and with a much worse goal balance, Míchel aims to repeat the pattern with three center backs and Arnau and Miguel Gutiérrez as wingers that he already used in the league duel against Real Sociedad. He will have to recover the offensive freshness that he is used to and that was not seen in that match, but also avoid those defensive oversights that until now have cost him dearly in Europe.

-Probable alignments:

Girona: Gazzaniga, Arnau Martínez, Francés, David López, Krejci, Miguel Gutiérrez, Van de Beek, Yangel Herrera, Iván Martín, Danjuma and Miovski.

Slovan de Bratislava: Takác, Blackman, Kashia, Bajric, Wimmer, Savvidis, Ihnatenko, Barseghyan, Tolic, Weiss and Strelec.

Referee: Horatiu Fesnic (Romania).

Stadium: Montilivi.

Time and TV: 9:00 p.m. Movistar Champions League 2.