The Spanish La Liga continues this weekend with the Round 12 matches, and the opening game is set for Friday, November 17th, 2017, when Girona welcomes Real Sociedad at Estadi Montilivi. Both teams are in a good form recently, especially the home team, who won three games in a row, so we expect to see some entertaining football on Friday evening.
In this preview, we would like to take a closer look at these two sides, and to provide you some fresh betting tips and predictions, like always here on GetMoreSports.
GIRONA vs. REAL SOCIEDAD
3-Way: 1: Girona +177; X: +260 Draw; 2: Real Sociedad +195 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread 0: Girona -102; Real Sociedad +100
Total +2.5: Over -123; Under +120
GIRONA
Girona is a joy to watch in the last couple of weeks, as the newcomers are playing on the high level, winning three games in a row in the Spanish La Liga, including a 2:1 victory over Real Madrid in the 10th round in front of the home fans. They have also beaten Levante on the road, 2:1, in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga, showing some excellent performance on both ends of the field. Girona’s manager Pablo Machin is surely happy with his team, and how compact they looked against The Frogs, proving the display against Los Blancos wasn’t an accidental.
The White and Reds were better a team for 90 minutes against Levante at Ciutat de Valencia, deservedly getting a victory at the end of the game. They played an exciting and attacking football, but they were pretty disciplined and responsible at the back. Girona dominated in the first half when they took six shots on Levante’s goal, while The Frogs had just one shot for the first 45 minutes. In the ninth minute, Girona had the first chance to take the lead when the striker Christian Stuani’s shot from just outside of the six-yard box was brilliantly saved by Levante’s goalkeeper. Five minutes later the midfielder Alex Granell’s free kick went just a few inches off the left post. Alex Granell had another opportunity in the 39th minute when his shot from about 15 yards was once again stopped by Levante’s keeper. The Columbian defender Bernardo Espinosa had the last scoring chance for Girona in the first half, but his header wasn’t precise enough to beat the keeper.
In the second half, Girona’s players continued with the attacking football and in the 58th minute, they deservedly scored the opening goal of the match.The 27-year old attacking midfielder Borja Garcia received the ball at the edge of the box, and his spectacular right-foot shot finished off the crossbar into the Levante’s net. It was his first goal of the season in the 10th appearance, and one of the best goals we saw in the Spanish La Liga Round 11. In the 83rd minute, Christian Stuani doubled the lead after the magnificent counter-attack. With just four touches Girona’s players arrived from box to box, and after Pere Pons’ unselfish pass, Christian Stuani easily scored the goal. The only moment of deconcentration came deep in the injury time when Girona’s defenders left Levante’s striker Ivi all alone on the right wing, and he found Enes Unal with the great cross for nothing more than a consolation goal.
It was another superb victory for Pablo Machin’s team, and now they are sitting at the 10th spot of the Spanish La Liga table after the first 11 rounds with 15 points, a 13:16 goal difference, and a form of WWWLD. The striker Christian Stuani is showing a great form this season after he arrived from the English side Middlesbrough, and he’s a team’s leading scorer with six goals in nine appearances, while the 25-year old midfielder Portu added three goals to his name in eleven La Liga appearances. The 24-year forward Olarenwaju Kayode and a 29-year old midfielder Alex Granell both made two assists so far. The 24-year old defensive midfielder Pere Pons is playing brilliantly and he made his first assist of the season against Levante.
The manager Pablo Machin doesn’t have serious injury worries, and he can count on all players for the next game, besides the centre-back Pedro Alcala who is still doubtful due to a malleolar injury.
REAL SOCIEDAD
Real Sociedad recorded another convincing and fully deserved victory in the previous round of the Spanish La Liga, beating Eibar in front of the home fans, 3:1. It was a rainy night in San Sebastian when we saw a storming performance by The Whites and Blues, especially in the first half when they scored two times, missing some excellent opportunities to get a couple of more.
The visitors had the first scoring chance of the match in the 4th minute when Real Sociedad’s keeper Geronimo Rulli saved Kike’s shot, and from this moment on just one team was playing on the field. In the 12th minute, the Brazilian striker Willian Jose scored the first goal of the match with a beautiful header, after a lovely Alvaro Odriozola’s cross from the right wing. Real Sociedad kept with the attacking football, and in 28th minute Adnan Januzaj doubled the lead with the lucky second attempt after Eibar’s keeper brilliantly saved his first shot. Six minutes before his first goal of the season, Januzaj had a huge opportunity when he dribbled past the goalkeeper, but he managed to miss an empty net.
In the second half, we saw more of the same. Just 50 seconds after the kick off Real Sociedad made it 3:0. It was a superb through ball by Asier Illarramendi and a cool finish by a 20-year old talented winger Mikel Oyarzabal, who’s playing in a tremendous form recently, scoring three goals in his previous four La Liga appearances. In the following minutes of the game, Eibar had a few decent scoring chances, but Geronimo Rulli was focused between the sticks. However, he was helpless after Joan Jordan’s left-foot shot in the 72nd minute when Eibar scored just to softened the defeat.
After the first eleven rounds of the Spanish La Liga, Real Sociedad is at the seventh spot with 17 points, a 24:21 goal difference and a form of WLDWD, just two points behind Sevilla at the sixth spot. Mikel Oyarzabal is a team’s leading scorer with six goals in eight appearances, while Willian Jose bagged four times in eleven La Liga apps. The 21-year old right-back Alvaro Odriozola is a top assistant with four dishes in eleven matches this season, and he’s another talented player in this Sociedad’s team. The experienced midfielder Xabi Prieto is having a great season so far, adding two goals and three dishes to his name.
The manager Eusebio Sacristan has some problems with injured players, and he’s still without the right-back Carlos Martinez (ruptured cruciate ligament) and a striker Imanol Agirretxe (hamstring injury), while the centre-back Diego Llorente is doubtful due to a wound.
GIRONA vs. REAL SOCIEDAD – Match Prediction
I expect to see an open game on Friday evening between two talented teams. Both managers prefer attacking football, especially Eusebio Sacristan who doesn’t care to concede goals as long as his boys are capable of scoring more than opponents. I’m not going to pick up the winner here, but I’m pretty sure we’ll see some goals on both sides.
MY PICK: Both Teams to Score YES (-149)
