Why Girona Have Struggled This Season Compared to Their Stellar 2023/24 Campaign

One of the standout revelations of the 2023/24 LaLiga campaign was the unexpected rise of Girona.

Situated just over an hour’s drive from their illustrious neighbours, Barcelona, these two clubs are worlds apart.

For starters, Girona’s Estadio Montilivi, with a capacity of just 14,624, is the second smallest stadium in Spain’s top division. In contrast, Barcelona’s temporary ground, Estadio Lluis Companys, accommodates 55,926 fans, but once Camp Nou’s renovations are completed, the Catalan giants will boast a staggering capacity of 105,000, making it the largest stadium in Europe.

While Barcelona has enjoyed access to top-tier talent for years, Girona has relied on a network of loans since becoming a part of the City Football Group (CFG) in 2017, circling players between the various clubs under CFG’s umbrella.

Pep Guardiola’s brother, Pere, holds a significant stake in Girona, paving the way for a flow of talented Manchester City players to gain experience in the sun-soaked surroundings of Catalonia before stepping up to the City first team.

Savinho shone brightly at Girona before his move to Man City

Last season, Savinho, who has since moved to Manchester City, was a standout performer for Girona as they secured a historic qualification for the Champions League.

He netted nine goals and provided ten assists, contributing to an impressive total of 85 goals in the league — just two shy of Real Madrid’s tally and six more than Barcelona.

Finishing only four points behind their local rivals and five ahead of Atletico Madrid was a remarkable achievement for head coach Michel.

However, Savinho was not Girona’s top scorer in the 23/24 season. That title went to centre-forward Artem Dovbyk, who concluded a remarkable campaign with 24 goals and eight assists, notably scoring in both 4-2 league victories over Barcelona.

Defensive midfielder Eric Garcia, who was on loan from Barcelona, also made a considerable contribution with five goals.

Regrettably, all three players departed the club during the last summer transfer window – Dovbyk moving to Roma and Garcia and Savinho returning to their parent clubs. This left the bulk of the goal-scoring responsibilities on Viktor Tsygankov and Cristhian Stuani for the 2024/25 season.

Girona’s goal-scoring opportunities have dwindled this season

This season, Tsygankov has struggled to match his previous season’s tally of eight goals and seven assists, managing only two goals and four assists thus far in the 2024/25 season. Meanwhile, Stuani’s seven goals and two assists this campaign fall short of his previous season’s output of nine goals and three assists, making him the current top scorer for Girona.

New signings were brought in to address the gaps left by Dovbyk and Savinho, yet they have not reached the heights set by their predecessors.

With only 38 goals scored in the season to date with six matches remaining, the symptoms of a significant issue are becoming apparent. It was perhaps always going to be the case if the club could not retain their key goal contributors from the previous season.

In addition to the decline in goal-scoring, Girona’s free-spirited and audacious playing style from last season has largely dissipated, despite continuity in coaching and tactical approach.

Under coach Michel, the players previously exhibited confidence to take risks, but that boldness has faded this season. Last term, players like Portu (68.8% accuracy), Dovbyk (59.7%), and Savinho (58.8%) shot accurately when on target.

A normal passing game also thrived with only two regulars, Paulo Gazzaniga (75.9%) and Dovbyk (71.8%), falling below an 80% completion rate.

Girona has since become slow and expected in 2024/25

Fast breaks and exciting interplay that characterised their previous season have vanished.

Now, Girona appear lethargic and predictable, with teams that once struggled against them easily contesting their gameplay.

For instance, Stuani has only managed nine ball recoveries throughout the season, and even tenacious players like Oriol Romeu and Donny van de Beek have lost more duels than they’ve won.

Donny van de Beek’s 66 inaccurate attempts have granted opposition teams the opportunity to slice through Girona’s midfield effortlessly.

While passing statistics appear high this season, most of these passes occur within Girona’s half, leading to significantly decreased efficacy in the final third compared to last season.

Gazzaniga will be disappointed with a 16.3% completion rate in the final third, and Stuani’s 47.7% in his area of the pitch is another significant drop from last season’s 72.7%.

The Champions League campaign has been a disaster

Additionally, most players have struggled to make an impact, and the added burden of juggling European fixtures this season hasn’t helped, especially with a relatively small squad.

Girona’s participation in the Champions League turned out to be disastrous.

Finishing 33rd out of 36 teams during the group stages, they lost seven of their eight encounters, managing to secure just one win (2-0) against 35th-placed Slovan Bratislava on matchday three.

It’s easy to comprehend how a severe thrashing in Europe could impact their confidence in league play, and currently, Girona finds themselves in a relegation battle.

Just two points clear of the relegation zone and with two of their final six fixtures against the league’s bottom two teams (Leganes and Valladolid), Girona still has to contend with four matches against top ten rivals (Mallorca, Villarreal, Real Sociedad, and Atletico Madrid).

If Michel wishes to avoid leading his team to the second division next season, the 49-year-old must rally his players for a crucial final push to ensure their place in LaLiga.