Girona vs Slovan Bratislava
UEFA Champions League, KO: 20:00 Oct 22, 2024, Estadio Municipal de Montilivi
We're back to Champions League football and Girona will face Slovan Bratislava. Both sides are hoping to win their first points in the competition after suffering back-to-back defeats.
Girona's debut season in Europe has not gone according to plan thus far and the team remains without a win after facing Feyenoord and PSG.
We have to say that both their performances were admirable. They defended well against PSG until an own goal lost them the game in the 90th minute. Then they were on course to win their first point at 2:2 with Feyenoord until a second late own goal lost them that match too.
Girona have conceded four goals in two fixtures and three of them were own goals. You could say that they are their own worst enemy and deserve to have at least some points.
With six championships in a row in the Slovak Nike Liga, Slovan Bratislava have been playing in Europe every single year, although they rarely made it out of the group stage.
The team qualified for the CL this year after taking out Struga, Celje, Apoel, and Midtjylland in the qualifications. The League Phase has not been fun for them thus far and they definitely got one of the worst draws possible.
They already met Celtic and Man City, suffering a combined 1:9 goal difference, and they still have to face Milan, Atletico Madrid, and Bayern Munich. With this said, the match against Girona is a rare opportunity for a positive result.
How the bookies view it: Slovan to remain winless?
Slovan Bratislava are the obvious underdog but the odds feel a bit excessive. Betano gave Girona 1/5 to win on Tuesday while Slovan's chances have been estimated at 13/1. Alternatively, you can take advantage of 47/8 if you believe a draw is possible.
Recent head to head: Who will win their first-ever match?
As expected, Girona and Slovan Bratislava have never met in an official setting. The home side wasn't even part of the Spanish elite until recently and are making their debut in Europe this season.
Players to watch: Best opportunity to score goals
Girona will again be troubled by a long injury list and there will be rotations. Slovan Bratislava will have a full squad available but there really isn't anyone in that team who stands out for a bet.
Tigran Barseghyan has scored 10 goals in 18 appearances this season but there is a huge difference between the level of the Slovak domestic league and the Champions League.
Girona will probably give Abel Ruiz his debut opportunity in the CL and he is the best option from the White and Reds. Nevertheless, we don't recommend risking any money on this market.
Probable line-ups
Girona: Gazzaniga, Martinez, Lopez, Krejci, Gutierrez, Martin, Herrera, Solis, Van de Beek, Danjuma, Ruiz
Slovan Bratislava: Takac, Blackman, Kashia, Wimmer, Sharani, Bajric, Savvidis, Barseghyan, Tolic, Weiss Jr, Strelec
Anything else catch the eye?
Slovan Bratislava are an experienced team and certainly the best in their domestic league. But their away performances this season have not been great.
The 5:1 defeat to Celtic was a huge blow and while we can't expect the same performance from Girona, the Blanquivermells should make history with their first win in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Girona were going to defeat Feyenoord if not for their own goals and their overall performance was impressive. We should be in for an exciting contest and we expect some action on both ends.
This UEFA Champions League match between Girona and Slovan Bratislava will be played on Oct 22, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Girona vs Slovan Bratislava prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
