As a potential title battle plays out in Germany with the meeting of two league championship hopefuls at the same kickoff time, the two La Liga leaders also clash as Real Madrid host Girona with the Spanish league title possibly on the line.
Los Blancos sit atop the table, but with over half of the season gone by, Girona have stuck right with the Spanish giants all the way through. They lurk two points back, having already seemingly outlasted the likes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, who rest six and eight points adrift of the top two respectively.
A famous win here at the Bernabeu would vault them above Los Blancos and into the top spot, into control of their own destiny the rest of the way. A draw would keep the status quo, and a Real Madrid win would put five points between the leaders and the rest of the crowd.
From a player perspective, there's also lots riding on this match. Two of the three leaders for the La Liga Golden Boot will feature, as Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid and Artem Dovbyk of Girona hope to give not only their team a leg up in the title race, but position themselves for an individual award as well. Dovbyk missed the last match with a groin injury, but is likely to return for this enormous title tilt.
There's still plenty of the season to go, but it feels like this match could make or break the La Liga chase for both sides.
USA: Click here to see the latest odds for Real Madrid vs Girona and bet La Liga matches
Real Madrid vs Girona prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Real Madrid (-255)
- Score prediction: Real Madrid 3-2 Girona
Girona have been up to the challenge all season long, and they will not go quietly in this match, but it all feels just a bit out of reach. Largely, this is thanks to their players missing for this match.
While Artem Dovbyk is likely to return from injury, it's unclear how fully fit he will truly be. While those questions will be answered across the 90 minutes, Girona will be without both midfielder Yangel Herrera and defender Daley Blind due to yellow card suspension. It's truly awful timing for both, as they are two of Girona's most important players.
33-year-old Blind has been a revelation this campaign, with the second-most minutes of anyone in the Girona squad this season, and Herrera has come from Man City and grown into a critical everyday starter in midfield. Without those two players, it will be hard to keep up with Real Madrid's volume of chances, even if they do manage to keep it close.
The odds on Girona seem like they present an opportunity, as they have been so much stronger than their 5/1 moneyline odds suggest, but while that value is surely strong, we're nevertheless predicting a Real Madrid victory and thus sticking with the favourites.
| DraftKings (USA) |
|
| Real Madrid win | -255 |
| Draw | +400 |
| Girona win | +500 |
| Both teams to score Y/N |
-175 / +140 |
| Over / Under 3.5 goals |
-105 / -130 |
| Real Madrid -1.5 goals |
+115 |
| Girona +1.5 goals |
-135 |
Real Madrid vs Girona match facts
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024
- Kickoff Time: 6:30 p.m. local (12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT)
- Location: Santiago Bernabeu (Madrid, Spain)
- Referee: Juan Martinez Munuera, VAR: Javier Alberola Rojas
- Last meeting: Girona 0-3 Real Madrid (Sep. 30, 2023 | La Liga)
Real Madrid vs Girona best bet
- Pick: Over 3.5 total goals
- Odds: +105 (DraftKings)
These two teams put on an entertaining show last time they met back in late September. While Real Madrid ran away as 3-0 winners, Girona put up a solid fight and should have scored, collecting 1.59 xG on 13 shots, but only able to put three on target.
With Real Madrid down two starting centre-backs to ACL tears and one to their all-world goalkeeper, plus the possibility of both Antonio Rudiger and Nacho Fernandez both missing as well, it's conceivable that Aurelien Tchouameni and Dani Carvajal will be forced to fill in on short notice, a daunting task against an in-form attacking unit.
Given the absences for Girona due to suspension, both teams will have huge defensive holes to plug. The value here on the inflated over is poor, but there will be significant attacking opportunities for each front line.
Real Madrid vs Girona prop bet
- Pick: Jude Bellingham 2+ shots on target
- Odds: +130 (FanDuel)
- Pick: Artem Dovbyk OR Cristhian Stuani 2+ shots on target
- Odds: +290/+260 (FanDuel)
Running with a similar theme as above, with goals expected in this game given the lack of availability along the back line for both sides, we're backing a host of chances as well.
Last time between these two clubs, Jude Bellingham was front and center, managing a goal on five shots, with three on target. He averages 1.3 shots on target per game, and with such importance on this match, he will again be looking to make his trademark runs in the penalty area.
On the other side, it's believed that Artem Dovbyk will be fit enough to start the match, and if so, he should also be heavily involved — far more than he was against Los Blancos last time they met. But if he is only fit to make the bench, Cristhian Stuani is an excellent play, likely to start in the Ukrainian's place. Stuani is a shot machine, averaging an insane 4.1 shots per 90, usually as a super sub but occasionally in a spot start. Either way, the yet-to-be-determined Girona No. 9 will be a focal point against a patchwork Real Madrid defence.
Real Madrid vs Girona live stream, TV channel
| TV channel | Streaming | |
| USA, Telemundo | ESPN Deportes | Fubo USA, ESPN+, WatchESPN |
| Canada | — | TSN+ |
| UK | ITV 4, Viaplay Sports 2 | ITVX, LaLigaTV |
ESPN owns the U.S. broadcast rights for La Liga this season, with every game streamed on ESPN+ for subscribers in both English and Spanish. Additionally, this enormous title clash has been selected for Spanish-language television broadcast on ESPN Deportes, which is available to stream on Fubo.
In Canada, this mach will stream exclusively on TSN+, while in the UK it will be available on ITV 4 and Viaplay Sports 2, with streaming on the dedicated services for both providers.
