Girona and Real Betis kick off their 24/25 campaign this Thursday, August 15th at the Benito Villamarín. Both teams are coming off impressive seasons, but one of them stands out more than the other: Girona. They placed third last year falling short of Barcelona’s second place finish by just four points. Not many predicted their team to step up as they did, including golden boot winner Artem Dovbyk, who finished with twenty-four goals. They spent the majority of the 23/24 season on top of the table, but their gas ran out at the end of the year. Something that usually happens to teams that are not used to consistent success.
When a club unexpectedly performs better than they were supposed to, you would think the transfer floodgates would open and many new promising players would look to join them. But, in this situation, similar to Leicester City’s incredible championship run in 15/16, the best players were sold after the season. In Girona’s case, their arguably best four players from last season were let go.
This list includes forward Artem Dovbyk who transferred to AS Roma for a €30.50m fee, midfielder Aleix García to Bayer Leverkusen for €18.00m, right-back Yan Couto who is on loan with Borussia Dortmund, and winger Savinho who was sold to Manchester City for €30.00m. Unfortunately, it is looking more and more unlikely that Girona will repeat what they achieved last season.
Girona did bring in some reinforcements, but it is not what they once had. Forward Abel Ruiz joined from SC Braga on a €9.00m fee. Center-back Ladislav Krejci joined from Sparta Prague on a €8.00m fee and midfielder Donny van de Beek joined from Manchester United on a €500k fee. At the time of writing this, Girona are +2500 to lift the trophy, which puts them tied with Real Sociedad and Athletic Club Bilbao.
It will be even more tough this campaign with the star-power Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid have. But do not write them off just yet, as they definitely still have talent on their roster with the likes of forwards Viktor Tsygankov and Cristhian Stuani, and midfielder Yangel Herrera. Girona are also playing champions league football this year, which is another exciting feat. It is possible for them to repeat what they achieved last campaign, but with more matches and the loss of their top scorer, it just looks like it will not fall their way again.
Real Betis, who finished in seventh place last season are looking to improve and get into the top five. With another great squad at their disposal, it is a real possibility. Experienced midfielder Isco rolled back the clock last campaign as he was part of the reason they did not lose games. Rui Silva, Nabil Fekir, and Johnny Cardoso are other names who held their own last season.
Betis are definitely an underrated team in LaLiga as no one besides their supporters expect to the challenge for the title, but they are always there and exceed expectations. Except in Europe last season, when they were eliminated in the Europa League in the group stage and later knocked out in the Europa Conference League in the knockout round play-offs. Underwhelming to say the least, but a new season means new opportunities.
Betis can make a splash this upcoming campaign, but it will take more consistency and less injuries. Last winning a title in 2022, the Copa del Rey, it would not surprise me to seem them get their hands on some silverware this season. They are one of my dark-horses to sneak up on some of the big name clubs.
Real Betis vs. Girona Odds
| Real Betis | Draw | Girona |
| +140 | +240 | +180 |
| ** ESPN Bet Odds Subject to Change** | ||
Real Betis vs. Girona Match Details
- Fixture: 24/25 LaLiga
- Date and Time: August 15, 2024, 2:30 pm CT
- Location: Benito Villamarín, Sevilla, Spain
- Weather: Sunny, 99°
- Field Type: Natural
Team News
Real Betis Predicted XI:
Silva, Sabaly, Llorente, Bartra, Perraud, Cardoso, Roca, Fornals, Fekir, Ávila, Juanmi
Girona Predicted XI:
Gazzaniga, Martínez, Lopez, Blind, Gutiérrez, Herrera, Romeu, Solís, Martín, Ruiz, Stuani
Prediction
This is a really difficult match to call. Both teams have lost players over the summer transfer window and some, including Betis’ star midfielder Isco, is out through injury. Both teams will be lacking confidence going into their season openers, which is why I will be predicting a draw at 1-1. Girona draw no bet is what I like in this match, betting wise, as the odds are plus money at +115. Stuani to score anytime is a good shout as well.
Final Pick
Girona draw no bet @ +115
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