Surprise package Girona will move to the top of the La Liga table if they avoid defeat against basement side Almeria in Sunday's contest at Power Horse Stadium.
Girona are currently second in the division, level on points with leaders Real Madrid, while Almeria remain rooted to the bottom of the division, with the strugglers still waiting for their first win of the season.
Match preview
© Reuters
Almeria's search for their first La Liga success of the season continues this weekend, with the team looking for a result which would have the potential to act as a springboard in their battle against the drop.
La Union have drawn five and lost 14 of their 19 league matches this term, with a total of five points leaving them at the bottom of the division, some 11 points behind 17th-placed Celta Vigo.
There is still plenty of football to be played before the end of the campaign, so it is not quite panic stations for Almeria, but they have struggled badly this season, only scoring 19 times, while they have the worst defensive record in the division with 43 conceded.
Gaizka Garitano's side will enter this match off the back of a 1-0 loss to Osasuna on January 4, but four of their five points this season have come at home, including a draw against Mallorca last time out in front of their own fans.
Almeria only just avoided being relegated last season, finishing 17th on the final matchday, and they are bidding to make it three straight campaigns at this level of football for the first time since 2011.
© Reuters
Girona success this season has been one of the major stories around European football, with the Catalan outfit very much in the title argument at the mid-point of the campaign.
Michel's side have won 15, drawn three and lost one of their 19 league matches this season to collect 48 points, which has left them second in the table, only behind Real Madrid on the head-to-head record.
The White and Reds are seven points ahead of third-placed Barcelona and 10 clear of fifth-placed Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, so they are in a strong position when it comes to a top-four finish in Spain's top flight.
Girona are in just their fourth-ever season at this level of football, finishing 10th, 18th and 10th in their three previous campaigns, so it is remarkable to see them firmly in the title picture at this stage, and a win or a draw on Sunday would see them move to the summit, as Real Madrid will face Barcelona in Sunday night's Spanish Super Cup final.
The Catalan team have the second-best away record in the league this season, picking up 23 points from their nine matches, remaining unbeaten in the process, while they recorded a 5-2 victory over Almeria when the two teams locked horns in the reverse fixture earlier this term.
Team News
© Reuters
Almeria will be the fresher of the two sides, having not played since January 4, but Luis Suarez, Arnau Puigmal, Gonzalo Melero and Ibrahima Kone remain on the sidelines through injury.
The division's basement side will also be without the services of Marciano Sanca, Houboulang Mendes and Iddrisu Baba, with the trio set to be in action at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Sergio Arribas is actually the team's leading goalscorer this season in La Liga with five, and he is again set to operate in an attacking area, while Largie Ramazani is likely to be given the nod as the centre-forward on Sunday.
As for Girona, Eric Garcia, Viktor Tsygankov, Joel Roca and Ricard Artero are out of this match through injury, while Yangel Herrera, Borja Garcia and Toni Villa remain major fitness doubts.
The visitors will also be missing David Lopez, who has been handed a four-match suspension for comments that he made about referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias back in October.
Juanpe started the 2-0 win over Elche in the Copa del Rey on January 6, and he is set to continue at the back due to Eric Garcia's absence, but the team could otherwise be unchanged from the one that took to the field for the first whistle of the 4-3 success over Atletico Madrid in the league on January 3.
Almeria possible starting lineup:
Maximiano; Pubill, Montes, E Gonzalez, Akieme; Lopy, Robertone; Baptistao, Arribas, Embarba; Ramazani
Girona possible starting lineup:
Gazzaniga; Couto, Juanpe, Blind, Gutierrez; Savio, Martin, A Garcia, Valery; Torre; Dovbyk
We say: Almeria 0-2 Girona
This has the potential to be a tricky match for Girona, and it would not be a complete shock if Almeria were able to hold the title challengers to a draw on Sunday. Girona are very much in the winning habit at the moment, though, and we are backing them to navigate their way to an important three points here.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
