Sevilla have been a club that has been teetering on the brink of a crisis for much of the past three years. They won’t be far off that point again if they lose this match against a Girona side that has made a woeful start.
Neither team has picked up a point so far, which makes this a pressure game even at this early stage in the season.
Girona let in eight goals in their opening two matches, losing 3-1 to Rayo Vallecano and 5-0 to Villarreal. Defensively, they’ve been all at sea, while some goalkeeping howlers have also contributed to those results. Michel has been heavily critical of his team, and there are doubts as to whether he’ll even be in charge after the international break, with a big few days ahead on and off the pitch.
The recently appointed Matias Almeyda should get more time at Sevilla. His side have been much more competitive in their defeats, which both came by one-goal margins against Athletic Club and Getafe. However, even after last week’s €30m sale of Loic Bade to Bayer Leverkusen, the club appears keen to cash in on other assets, which could leave an already weak squad in big trouble.
How the bookies view it: Girona favoured to stop the rot
Boylesports make Girona the 5/4 favourites to win this game, despite two nightmare performances so far. With so little time to implement defensive fixes, it’s hard to see value in that price, and backing Sevilla to win at 19/10 may be the smart move here. The draw is priced at 21/10.
Recent head-to-head: Sevilla targeting second win at Montilivi in 2025
Sevilla won 2-1 on this ground in January of this year, with Dodi Lukebakio and Saul Niguez their scorers on that occasion. However, prior to that they had lost all of their previous six games against Girona.
Players to watch: Agoume key for the visitors
Both sides have lost key players and are dealing with injuries, so most of the best performers for these clubs from recent seasons are either no longer around or not expected to feature.
However, Lucien Agoume does stand out as a crucial part of Sevilla’s midfield. The 23-year-old scored an excellent goal in Bilbao on matchday one, while he’s averaging three tackles and two interceptions per game.
Predicted Lineups
Abel Ruiz is rated doubtful for Girona, who are also expected to be without Donny van de Beek and Yangel Herrera due to injuries.
It’s unclear whether key winger Dodi Lukebakio will be fit for Sevilla, while Djibril Sow is also rated doubtful. They are missing Stanis Idumbo, Akor Adams, Joan Jordan, Tanguy Nianzou and Adnan Januzaj to injuries.
Girona: Gazzaniga, Moreno, Blind, Reis, Rincon, Solis, Witsel, Roca, Lemar, Tsygankov, Stuani.
Sevilla: Nyland, Suazo, Salas, Castrin, Carmona, Gudelj, Agoume, Ejuke, Alfon, Peque, Romero.
Anything else catch the eye?
With both sides looking shaky defensively, and conceding at least two goals in every fixture so far, there’s reason to think gaps will open up for the attacking players in this one.
Given that, backing both teams to score at 8/11 could be worth considering with Boylesports. Meanwhile, you can back over 3.5 goals with the same bookmaker at odds of 5/2.
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