Girona and Real Madrid Clash in Epic Showdown for La Liga Summit

As the curtain falls on the La Liga matches of 2023, the competition is fiercer than ever with front-runners Girona and Real Madrid battling for supremacy to kickstart the New Year on a high note.

In a challenging encounter, Girona faces Betis three days after an impressive 3-0 victory against Alaves. Despite a short recovery time, Michel Sanchez’s squad, displaying 90 minutes of control, is determined to maintain its winning streak. The potential absence of Viktor Tsygankov is a concern, yet the return of Cristhian Stauni, post-suspension, bolsters the team, as reported by Xinhua.

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Real Madrid, on the other hand, confronts Alaves, grappling with an extensive injury list featuring key players like David Alaba, Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, Eduardo Camavinga, Thibaut Courtois, and Vinicius Jr. Fran Garcia steps in for the injured Mendy. At the same time, Nacho Fernandez or Aurelian Tchouameni are poised to fill the void left by Alaba in central defense. Goalkeeping responsibilities continue to rest with Andriy Lunin.

Meanwhile, Real Sociedad faces Cadiz, striving to break a winless streak since September 1st. Cadiz risks slipping into the bottom three in a pivotal clash if Celta secures a point against Villarreal. Injuries to Braiz Mendez and Ander Barrenetxea challenge the visitors, while Cadiz grapples with scoring woes, notably missing midfielder Gonzalo Escalante.

The showdown features Mallorca, on the brink of slipping into the bottom three, hosting an Osasuna side buoyed by Raul Garcia’s late heroics against Rayo Vallecano.

-IANS