Girona wants to rediscover the victory tomorrow in Montilivi against Rayo Vallecano (9:00 p.m.) to continue adding points at the top of the table and secure a place to play in the Champions League. It is urgent for Míchel’s team, especially after Barcelona’s victory in Montjuïc against Getafe, which has placed them second in the table and at the expense of what Real Madrid does tonight at the Bernabéu against Sevilla.
After losing only one game in the first 23 days, Míchel’s team has gone three consecutive games without winning. They tied against Real Sociedad (0-0), lost at the Santiago Bernabéu against Real Madrid (4-0) and left another three points at San Mamés against Athletic Club (3-2).
Míchel assured on the eve of Rayo Vallecano’s visit to Montilivi that the team wants to be in Champions League positions “until the end” and that to achieve this it has to “win many games.”
“The team has done things very well, but there are thirteen games left and they have to continue winning,” added Míchel after acknowledging that qualifying for European competitions is “a spectacular challenge” and would be “a dream.”
The red and white coach was convinced that Girona can be in the fight for the Champions League and stressed that, with his best version, he can beat anyone, although if he moves away from it he can “lose with any rival.”
The Champions League, he added, is the “natural” objective, due to Girona’s position in the classification, and he urged his players to make good on the seven-point advantage over Athletic Club (5th), the first team outside the places that give right to compete in the highest continental competition.
He also argued that Girona’s challenge is not to fight with Real Madrid, Barcelona or Atlético de Madrid, but to be in “the next step.” But he left the door open to fight for greater heights, such as second place, if Girona is “for more” when the last six days of the championship arrive.
Regarding this Monday’s game in Montilivi, he stressed that Rayo “is a very, very difficult opponent, with players of a very high level.” Isi Palazón, “an important player” for the Vallecano team, will be out, but the Madrid team will be, in his opinion, “an equally very complicated rival, because they have a great squad.”
For the match against Rayo, fourteenth in the table, the Madrid coach will recover Yan Couto, who has already served the suspension match against Athletic, and also David López and Jastin, with medical discharge. Daley Blind, who will have three games without playing – one due to suspension and two due to injury -, Toni Villa and Joel Roca will be out for another week.
