When Girona emerged victorious in May against Xavi’s Barcelona, it did not only signify another fiercely contested Catalan derby but also represented a once unthinkable achievement for Girona.
The 4-2 win secured Girona’s place in this season’s UEFA Champions League competition—a fairy tale ending for Míchel’s side, who consistently defied the odds to complete such a historic campaign.
Fast forward to today, and things aren’t going exactly as planned at Montilivi.
There has been a clear decline in performance, and there have been honest reflections from the manager on how Girona must adapt.
Girona currently occupy 10th place in the La Liga standings, whilst a disappointing European run has left them in 29th place in the new Champions League format.
Whilst it may have been premature to expect a similar level of performance to last season, a disappointing summer window has left the club needing to reestablish their footballing identity and tactics.
Our tactical analysis will begin to highlight some of the reasons why their performances have dwindled this campaign, especially when suffering devastating losses on the continental stage.
All hope is not lost, though.
Our analysis will also identify some of their key strengths, which could prove crucial when they look to pick up more points later in the season.
Girona Summer Recruitment
Discussing Girona’s recent struggles without mentioning the summer window whirlwind they experienced would be a huge oversight.
Their Champions League qualification was a blessing and a curse for many reasons, but the loss of key performers over the summer has been a huge blow that the club has yet to overcome.
The transfer of La Liga top goalscorer Artem Dovbyk to Roma signified the loss of Michel’s talismanic figure, which carried the Girona attacking load for the majority of their success last campaign.
Abel Ruiz Vs Artem Dovbyk Radar Map
However, the loss of their engine room in midfield had perhaps a more detrimental effect on their overall functioning and comfort with the ball, as they saw Aleix Garcia move to Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen.
While many eagerly anticipated Girona’s chance to compete with world-class competition from around Europe, the added loss of players like Savinho, Yan Couto and Eric Garcia has left the Catalan side largely stripped of their most influential assets.
