Girona vs Athletic Bilbao – News and Probable Lineups

Athletic Bilbao will be looking to enhance their chances of reaching the top six as they continue their La Liga campaign with an away fixture against Girona on Saturday afternoon.

The Lions currently sit in 10th place in the La Liga standings, trailing sixth-placed Celta Vigo by five points, while Girona holds the 15th position, sitting six points clear of the relegation zone.

Match overview

Girona remains in the mix for La Liga survival this season, although they find themselves in a comparatively secure position, accumulating 31 points from 27 matches, placing them in 15th, six points ahead of 18th-placed Mallorca.

With 11 matches remaining in the season, much can still change, but Girona’s primary challenge this season has been their defense, which has conceded 43 goals.

Michel’s squad will head into this match following a 1-1 draw with Levante, and they have only managed to secure one win in their last seven La Liga outings, which came against champions Barcelona at home in mid-February.

Girona has struggled at home this season, registering only 16 points from 13 matches, marking the third-worst performance in the league.

The Catalan side has faced Athletic on 11 prior occasions, with Athletic narrowly leading the all-time head-to-head with five victories to Girona’s four.

Athletic were held to a 1-1 draw by Girona in the earlier meeting this season, and they lost 2-1 to the Catalan side in the corresponding fixture during the 2024-25 season.

The Lions have managed only one triumph on the road against Girona, which dates back to March 2019, making this a challenging task for Ernesto Valverde’s team.

Athletic comes into this match following two consecutive defeats, having been eliminated from the Copa del Rey at the semi-final stage by Basque rivals Real Sociedad, and then losing 1-0 to Barcelona in La Liga last time out.

A tough season has left Valverde’s squad in 10th place in the La Liga table, a substantial 19 points adrift of fourth-placed Villarreal.

Nonetheless, Athletic trails sixth-placed Celta Vigo by just five points, making a European spot this season still attainable despite recent struggles.

Girona La Liga form:

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Athletic Bilbao La Liga form:

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Athletic Bilbao form (all competitions):

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Team News

Due to injuries, Girona will be missing Juan Carlos, Donny van de Beek, Portu, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and Bryan Gil, while veteran forward Cristhian Stuani is expected to undergo a late fitness test prior to the match.

Joel Roca and Alejandro Franças both made a notable impact off the bench in the last fixture against Levante and could now be included in the starting lineup.

Vladyslav Vanat had a challenging performance in the most recent game, yet the striker has netted nine times in La Liga this season and is expected to continue in the attack.

For Athletic, Benat Prados, Unai Egiluz, and Nico Williams are unavailable due to injuries, while Maroan Sannadi, Aitor Paredes, and Unai Gomez are doubtful for the encounter with Girona.

The visitors will also miss Alejandro Rego, who received a yellow card that ruled him out during the recent clash with Barcelona.

Athletic’s head coach Valverde is likely to rotate the squad that started against Barcelona, with Yuri Berchiche, Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta, Oihan Sancet, and Gorka Guruzeta possibly being integrated into the starting XI.

Girona probable starting XI:

Gazzaniga; Rincon, Franças, Blind, Martinez; Witsel, Beltran; Tsygankov, Lemar, Roca; Vanat

Athletic Bilbao probable starting XI:

Simon; Gorosabel, Vivian, Laporte, Berchiche; Ruiz de Galarreta, Palace; I Williams, Sancet, Berenguer; the cross

Historically, there have only been two draws between these two teams, one of which occurred earlier this season, and another stalemate is anticipated this weekend between Girona and Athletic.