Preview for Real Madrid v Girona
Real Madrid have endured a miserable week and boss Alvaro Arbeloa accepts they have little room for error between now and the end of the season.
Last Saturday’s defeat at Real Mallorca left them seven points behind Barcelona in the Liga title race while the midweek Champions League loss at home to Bayern Munich means they are fighting an uphill battle to claim a 16th European crown.
Arbeloa will resist the temptation to rest players against Girona tonight ahead of the return game in Germany given what’s at stake domestically.
“I want to go out and win,” he said. “I think despite the result I played the best team in Mallorca. I don’t think about rotations. The most important game I have as a coach is tomorrow’s. I’ll select a team that’s up for it.”
He acknowledged, however, that the second leg against the Bundesliga leaders weighs heavily on his mind, adding: “We can’t wait for the Munich game. Since the final whistle went the other night, we want to prove what we are capable of at the Allianz.
“But first we have to focus on tomorrow. We’ll have to play a great game. We have four days to recover and in everyone’s mind is to give our best. It’s the only goal. Select a great team and play a great game.”
Girona pulled further clear of relegation trouble thanks to Monday night’s 1-0 defeat of Villarreal.
Despite Madrid’s recent woes, Girona coach Michel knows it will be a difficult game for his side.
He told Marca: “I don’t even look at who the opponent has played, nor who they will play in the next game. Playing at the Bernabéu is not easy and the normal thing is that it is a game of suffering. They lead many offensive concepts in the league and there is never a good time to play there. We will try to control what we can and have a top mentality to suffer together. We want to show our best version.”
Michel believes that Madrid can still win the league.
“They still have to visit the Camp Nou,” he reasoned. “At Madrid you have to win all the games, that’s the demand they have, and more so after a defeat. I hope for their best version since they have time to recover and face the return of the quarter-finals of the Champions League. In the league they have less margin for error but we need points to reach 42. We need a collective mentality, neither to be overexcited, nor passive because logic says that Madrid has to beat us.”
Team news for Real Madrid v Girona
Arbeloa confirmed both Jude Bellingham and Eder Militao will start as will Eduardo Camavinga. Ferland Mendy will be among the substitutes but Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo remain sidelined by injury.
Girona will be without top scorer Vladyslav Vanat for the rest of the season due to a hamstring injury. Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Donny van de Beek, Portu and Juan Carlos are also absent.
