La Liga Preview: Girona Seeks Rebound After Heavy Defeat, Osasuna Unbeaten in Six Consecutive Games Spanning Seasons

On August 30 at 1 a.m., the third round of La Liga will see Girona host Osasuna at the Montilivi Stadium.

The two teams had very different experiences during the summer transfer window. Girona lost last season’s La Liga top scorer Stipe Devic, sold Alex Garcia and others, and also lost Savigny and other breakout players, earning 51.5 million euros from player sales. The team spent approximately 44 million euros to bring in new signings such as Yasser Asprilla, Abel Ruiz, Krejczy, etc., completing the squad integration, but the early-season adaptation tasks are relatively heavy, after all, completely rebuilding the system brings considerable uncertainty.

In pre-season matches, Girona won only one out of seven games with three draws and three losses. At the start of the season, they drew 1-1 away against Real Betis in the first round, then suffered a 0-3 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the second round, gradually losing the luster of last season’s “super dark horse.” However, Girona is trying to prove that the current issues are not due to a lack of ability but rather insufficient cohesion. They hope to take advantage of their home field to achieve a rebound—last season, Girona won 15 out of 19 home games, just one less than Real Madrid, so there is still a home field advantage.

Osasuna made few moves in the summer transfer window, with only center-back David Garcia moving to the Middle Eastern league. The team scouted some new stars from the Segunda División and Bayern Munich’s youth academy. New head coach Vicente Moreno has brought some new tactical elements, but the overall squad framework remains stable. After the start of the season, Osasuna first drew with Rayo Vallecano and then defeated Mallorca. If we include the last four rounds of last season’s La Liga, they have been unbeaten in six consecutive games across seasons (two wins and four draws).

In terms of head-to-head records, in the last ten encounters, Girona has a slight advantage with four wins, three draws, and three losses. Especially last season, Girona won both away (4-2) and at home (2-0), achieving clear victories in both matches.

In terms of personnel, Girona’s substitute winger Valery Fernandez is currently troubled by a minor injury, and his availability is questionable. Last season, although he only started in two games, he came off the bench 30 times, scoring four goals and providing one assist. Osasuna, on the other hand, will be without right-back Ruben Peña (muscle injury), midfielder Iker Muñoz (foot injury), and winger Barja (ligament injury). Of these, the first two are key players for the team, having played 34 and 29 games respectively last season.

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