Girona vs Alaves prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2023-12-17 20:00.
Defender Miguel GutiĂ©rrez is warning his Girona teammates not to take their eye off the ball as they attempt to maintain their shock La Liga (LL) title challenge. MĂchel’s side laid down the gauntlet to their rivals by picking up a stunning 4-2 victory at the Camp Nou against Barcelona last time out, a seventh victory in eight outings (D1) that left them clear at the top of the table ahead of this round of fixtures.
It’s easy therefore to see why supporters are beginning to dream, even if Gutiérrez says they have to take things “day by day.” However, the White and Reds have already accumulated 41 points, just eight short of the total they accumulated over the entirety of the 2022/23 season, while their record against lower ranked teams is staggering, winning each of their nine fixtures against teams in the bottom half of the table after matchday 16.
That makes the trip a somewhat daunting one for travelling Alavés, even more so as the visitors have picked up just one victory in the last seven H2Hs (D2, L4) at Estadi Montilivi. As if that’s not enough, Babazorros fans have endured plenty of pain on the road over the last few years, with their side failing to win a LL away game since October 2021 (D6, L17)!
Such form has contributed to Luis GarcĂa’s side sitting only six points above the relegation zone, compounded by a 1-0 defeat at home to Las Palmas last time out. That fixture saw the manager pick up a touchline ban for his fifth yellow card of the season. He accepts his “nervous” energy has got the better of him at times, but AlavĂ©s may give him more reason to get angry before the year is out, given their last two games of 2023 are against LL’s top two.
Players to watch: Artem Dovbyk has won six of his goalscoring appearances since joining Girona in the summer transfer window (D1). Attempting to out-gun him may be AlavĂ©s forward Kike GarcĂa, who has never lost a H2H in LL (W4, D1), netting twice in the process.
Hot stat: Girona go into this round of fixtures as one of only two teams in LL yet to play out a 0-0 draw this season.