Girona v Real Madrid: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Barcelona's dip in form allowed Real Madrid to re-enter the La Liga title race, but Los Blancos tripped up on Wednesday night as they lost 2-1 away to Athletic Bilbao.

Kylian Mbappe once again missed from the penalty spot for Real, having also done so against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League, as Gorka Guruzeta's 80th-minute strike secure all three points for the Basque outfit.

Carlo Ancelotti's men will be looking for a response as they begin a key week in their calendar, which features a crunch UEFA Champions League clash with Atalanta on Tuesday.

But first they take on Girona, who have their sights set on making it into the top six.

Girona v Real Madrid betting tips and predictions

Girona +1 goal on handicap - 21/20

Girona are not the team they were last season, but they can still be awkward opponents.

They were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by fourth-tier Logrones on penalties on Wednesday and one week previously they lost 1-0 to Sturm Graz in the UEFA Champions League.

But in La Liga they have been going well, collecting 10 points from their last four matches, crushing Espanyol 4-1 at the Estadi Montilivi as part of that run.

Indeed, Girona have picked up 13 of their 22 league points on home turf this season and punters should not rush to oppose them.

Real lost 2-1 to Bilbao last time out and, with one eye on next Tuesday's UEFA Champions League clash with La Dea, they could be vulnerable.

Los Blancos are still missing key players at both ends of the pitch, with Vinicius Junior, Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, David Alaba and Eduoardo Camavinga all unavailable.

Girona can put up a fight and are worth backing at +1 on the goal handicap. This means the bet wins if they avoid defeat and stakes are returned if they lose by just one goal.

Over 2.5 goals - 8/13

Punters unwilling to settle on a result bet might instead be intrigued by over 2.5 goals.

Girona are unlikely to operate with their backs to the wall, especially on their own patch and their return of 22 goals from 15 matches is not bad by La Liga standards.

Five of their last eight matches have featured over 2.5 goals, while Real's league matches have featured an average of 2.93 goals per game this season.

Vinicius may be sidelined, but the Madrid giants still have goals in them and, although Girona should make this tough, it is worth noting that Real won their two league meetings with the Catalan club 3-0 and 4-0 last term and there could be goals again.

Ladislav Krejci to score at anytime- 7/1

The fact that 38-year-old forward Cristhian Stuani is Girona's top scorer in La Liga this season suggests they are not blessed with obvious goalscorers and it could pay to back an outsider to find the net against Real Madrid.

Girona could be restricted to shots from distance against Real and one player who is dangerous from that range is defender Ladislav Krejci.

Krejci rescued a 2-2 draw for Girona away to Villareal on Sunday thanks to a 97th-minute volley from distance and he was also on target in his team's 4-1 thrashing of Espanyol last month.

At 7/1 he looks a terrific bet to score against Los Blancos.

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Girona v Real Madrid odds

Girona - 7/2
Draw - 29/10
Real Madrid - 8/11

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.