Our prediction for this Segunda Division match:
Estadio El Molinon will host Sunday’s La Liga 2 game between Sporting Gijon and Girona, the two teams with totally different ambitions in the season finale. Los Rojiblancos are fighting hard to secure the Segunda Division survival, with the team sitting just two points clear of bottom four. Sporting Gijon are desperate to put an end to their four-match winless run, but they will have a mountain to climb in Sunday’s showdown.
The good news for the hosts is that midfielder Pablo Perez is back from suspension. The Catalans, on the other hand, aim to stay in the playoffs berth. Girona are more of a team than Sporting Gijon, which is probably the main reason why away win should be considered. Pol Lozano returns from suspension, but Alex Baena serves a one-game ban in Sunday’s clash against Sporting Gijon.
Highlighted Player (Diego Marino):
Diego Marino is a Spanish goalkeeper who plays for Sporting Gijon. The 185-cm-tall shoot-stopper was born on 9 May, 1990 in Vigo and he played for the likes of Santa Marina, Rapido Bouzas, Sardoma, Areosa and Villarreal during his youth career. Between 2008 and 2010 he played for Villarreal C and in 2010 he started playing for Villarreal B.
Marino made 72 appearances for Villarreal B and in 2012 he joined the first team. He was not Villarreal’s first-choice goalkeeper in the 2012/2013 campaign and he made no more than nine appearances for the Yellow Submarine. In the 2015/2016 season he played for Levante, but following their relegation to Segunda Division, Diego Marino decided to sign a deal with Sporting Gijon on 1 July, 2016.
The goalkeeper has 6 caps for Spain U-21, while playing 3 games for Spain U23. It has to be noted that he won UEFA U-21 Championships in 2011 and 2013 with La Furia Roja. Back in 2007 he made it to the FIFA U-17 World Cup final with the Spanish national team.
Highlighted Team (Girona):
After several unsuccessful attempts, finally secured promotion to Primera Division at the end of the 2016/2017 season. The Catalan outfit finished the campaign in second place in the standings, 14 points behind Levante and only two clear of third-placed Getafe. Girona play their home games at Montilivi and the capacity of the venue is 9.286.
Speaking of the club history, Girona were founded in the café Norat in La Rambla of Girona on July 23, 1930 and they played their first official game against Colonia Artigas. A number of Spanish coaches were in charge of the team in the past, but it has to be noted that Uruguayan tactician Dagoberto Moll (1965/1966) and Karoly Plattko (1948/1949) of Hungary were in charge of the club as well.
The Catalan team wear white shirts with red stripes when playing at home, while the colour of their shorts is blue. The team’s away kits are blue and black and Sporting Gijon are considered one of Girona’s fiercest rivals.