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Opposition lowdown: Girona
Girona are the first LaLiga opponents of 2023 in the Catalan derby
RCD Espanyol take on Girona at the RCDE Stadium on Saturday.
Having resumed the LaLiga season with the Barcelona derby on New Year’s Eve, Espanyol open 2023 with the Catalan derby and a second home match of the week. They host Girona, who sit in twelfth and without defeat in their last five league outings.
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Name: Girona FC
Nickname: Blanquivermells (White and Reds)
Manager: Míchel
Stadium: Estadi Montilivi – 11,810 capacity
Last match: D 2-2 vs Rayo Vallecano
Last season: 6th (Second Division, promoted by play-offs)
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Last meeting
You have to go back two years for the last meeting, which was not even in the top-flight as the two sides met in the Second Division in 2021. Girona welcomed Espanyol to the Montilivi and edged them out 1-0 thanks to Pablo Moreno’s striker towards the end of the first half.
Key player
Only two players have played every match this season for Girona, one of them being midfielder Aleix García. With three assists to his name in LaLiga, the Spaniard has been an important player in the Catalan side’s midfield, even wearing the captain’s armband on a few occasions.
Club links
Pericos will see a familiar face returning to the RCDE Stadium in the form of former captain David López, who made the switch to Girona last summer.
Now 33, López came through Espanyol’s academy and represented the first team across two stints, making 237 appearances in the blanquiazul shirt. It will be his first time back at the Club since his departure and a reunion with his former teammates and supporters.