Girona continue their surprising hunt for a potentially legendary La Liga title as they
host Atletico Madrid in Catalonia on Wednesday.
Real Madrid lead the La Liga standings
as the calendar turns to 2024, but Girona are level on points with Los Blancos and have
a real shot at pushing for the crown.
Atletico Madrid sit third, but are seven points
adrift in what appears for now to be a two-horse race. Diego Simeone's side are level
with Barcelona on points but ahead on goal differential, and will hope to spring an
upset here to solidify their standing and put Barca deeper in debt.
Additionally, there
are two Golden Boot contenders in this match hoping to find the net. Artem Dovbyk leads
Girona's entertaining title charge with 11 goals, sitting two behind league leader Jude
Bellingham. Level with Dovbyk is Antoine Griezmann, who enjoyed a prolific and
under-the-radar 2024.
Girona vs Atletico Madrid prediction, odds
Moneyline lean: Girona
(+155)
Girona (+155) Score prediction: Girona 3-1 Atletico Madrid
Girona are a force to
be reckoned with, and it's time everyone begins to respect their legitimacy in the La
Liga title race. Atletico Madrid simply have too many flaws to handle a road date with
a team in as good of form as Girona.
Atleti gave up 19 shots to Almeria back in
mid-December, and then an outrageous 29 shots at home against Getafe in a bonkers 3-3
draw. They stifled a slumping Sevilla side last time out, but even then fell a man down
with 20 minutes to go. Diego Simeone's defensive stranglehold on La Liga is slipping,
and Girona are positioned well to take advantage.
DraftKings
(USA) Girona win +155 Draw
+245 Atletico Madrid win +155 Both teams to score Y/N -195 / +155 Over / Under 2.5
goals -165 / +120 Atletico Madrid -0.5 goals +160 Girona +0.5 goals -190
Girona vs
Atletico Madrid match facts
Date: Wednesday, January 3
Wednesday, January 3 Kickoff
Time: 8:30 p.m. local (3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT)
8:30 p.m. local (3:30 p.m. ET /
12:30 p.m. PT) Location: Estadi Montilvivi (Girona, Spain)
Estadi Montilvivi (Girona,
Spain) Official: Alejandro Jose Hernandez
Alejandro Jose Hernandez Last meeting: Girona
0-1 Atletico Madrid (Mar. 13, 2024 | La Liga)
MORE: Can Girona win the La Liga title? A
look at the odds and how they can achieve the incredible
Girona vs Atletico Madrid best
bet
Pick: Over 3.0 total goals
Over 3.0 total goals Odds: +105 (DraftKings)
These two
teams are all about efficiency this season, meaning that while the shot props may not
be as profitable, there will still surely be goals in this match. Atletico Madrid and
Girona do not hammer opponents with waves of efforts on goal, but they boast the top
two most efficient offenses in the Spanish top flight this season, each collecting a
very healthy 0.14 xG/shot mark on the year.
Even if there aren't loads of chances in
this match, there should be enough attacking output — and enough defensive miscues,
especially by Atleti, who have one of the league's worst defensive differentials with
17.84 xGOTA and 19 goals conceded (-1.16).
Girona vs Atletico Madrid prop bet
Pick:
Half with most goals — 2H
Half with most goals — 2H Odds: -110 (DraftKings)
While Artem
Dovbyk gets the headlines for his Golden Boot challenge, Girona have an ace up their
sleeve in Cristhian Stuani, who has embodied the super sub mentality and been a key to
the club's title charge.
The 37-year-old captain has started just five La Liga games
this season (one since mid-September) and tallied just 567 minutes, but has knocked in
six goals and assisted two more. He bagged a brace off the bench in a 2-1 victory over
Valencia in early December, and the very next game provided a goal and assist late to
stun Barcelona.
Thanks in part to Stuani's leadership late in games, Girona have scored
23 second-half goals this year, joint-second in La Liga with Barcelona, behind only
Real Madrid's 25. Furthermore, Girona are the most prolific team in La Liga from the
30-minute mark on, with 35 of their 42 goals this year coming after that
point.
Atletico Madrid profile very similarly, with 20 second-half goals this year,
including 17 after the 60-minute mark. There should be some late fireworks in this
match to decide who has the points.
Girona vs Atletico Madrid live stream, TV
channel
Region TV channel Streaming USA ESPN Deportes Fubo, ESPN+, WatchESPN Canada —
TSN+ UK Viaplay Sports 1, La Liga TV Viaplay
In the United States, all La Liga matches
throughout the 2024/24 season are streamed in English and Spanish on ESPN+ for premium
subscribers. This match between Girona and Atletico Madrid has been selected for
television broadcast in Spanish on ESPN Deportes, with that channel available to stream
via Fubo.
