Second place at stake this Saturday in Montilivi in ??what will, for sure, be a great game. And, due to the game proposal of both teams, the spectacle is guaranteed. In the first round match they accumulated a total of 992 passes and 46 shots. Here are the tactical keys of the locals for this great match.
One of the hallmarks of this Girona is the ability to attract towards their field by always starting the game from behind. In fact, with 31% of playing time, Girona is the third team that spends the most playing time in its own field for this reason. A factor that forces opponents to relinquish control of the game or, otherwise, leave many spaces behind their defense. And in these spaces is where Míchel’s men usually generate danger.
A good part of Girona’s offensive flow in the opposing half goes through the two of them. On the one hand, the team uses possessions very well to go from side to side and, on the other, the two Brazilians are very good one-on-one. With an average of 2.8 superior dribbles per game, Savio is the second best in the League. And, with an average of 1.5, Yan Couto is among the top 20 in the championship as well. Furthermore, with eight each, they are the second best attendees in the championship. Much of the match will depend on his impact on the game. On paper, the Savinho-Koundé and Couto-Cancelo duels are very stimulating.
Another strong point of Míchel’s team is the short associations near or within the area. Aleix and Ivan Martín, plus Tsygankov or Miguel coming in, are all good players to combine short and the arrivals of Yangel or Portu complement the actions. There are many plays in which Girona generates danger from this. It is no coincidence that, with a total of 54, it is the team that has scored the most goals from open play. Against a team that, like Barça, is not used to defending deep in the area, it can be a destabilizing factor.
