La Liga update

Few players have taken to the Bernabeu with such authority, and fewer still at 20 years old

- JARED TINSLAY

Can Girona continue their impressive start to the season?

Girona won 31 points from their first 12 matches, making this their best-ever start to a La Liga season. At the beginning of November they sat top of the table, two points above Real Madrid – the only team to have beaten the Catalans – despite the summer departures of Oriol Romeu (Barcelona) and last season’s top scorer Taty Castellanos (Lazio).

Their impressive recruitment, assisted by the scouting resources of the City Football Group, has provided manager Michel with an even stronger squad than the one that saw them just miss out on European qualification in 2022-23.

Free transfer Daley Blind (Bayern Munich) and loan signing Eric Garcia (Barcelona) are ball-playing defenders who are well suited to the side’s build-from-the-back style, while returning Manchester City loanee Yan Couto is sharing minutes with the equally impressive young right-back Arnau Martinez. The 19-year-old winger Savio – or “Savinho” – has been a revelation on loan from fellow CFG club Troyes, Aleix Garcia has stepped up in Romeu’s absence and striker Artem Dovbyk looks set to be another hit from the Ukrainian league following the January arrival of winger Viktor Tsygankov.

Their incredible form has been no fluke, with their chance creation and expected goals stats confirming they are an attacking force to be reckoned with. The early signs suggest that they are more than capable of finishing at least among the top six and sealing European football for the first time in the club’s history.

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