Our prediction for this Champions League match:
Following a 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad in La Liga, Girona will look to get back on course when they face Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League round 3. The Catalans will not have a better chance than this to record their first win ever in the elite competition, but they will have to prove their worth on the field. Winger Viktor Tsygankov remains in the recovery room alongside Bryan Gil and Dailey Blind.
Girona head coach Michel, though, still has a number of high-profile footballers to choose from. Slovan Bratislava, on the other hand, do not seem to be competitive at this level and seeing that Girona are a real force to be reckoned with at home, we predict that the visitors are going to return to Slovakia empty-handed. The two teams meet meet for the first time ever in the Champions League.
Highlighted Player (Christian Stuani):
Cristhian Stuani is considered one of the best Uruguay attackers. Stuani was born on 12 October, 1986 and he began his senior career at Danubio. He impressed with the Uruguayan outfit, scoring 23 goals in 36 appearances for the club and, as a result, he became a target for a number of top European clubs.
In 2008 he signed a contract with Reggina, but he failed to impress in 17 appearances for the Italian team. After spending the 2012/2013 season on loan at Espanyol, Christian Stuani signed a permanent deal with the Catalan side in 2013. Stuani scored 12 goals in 37 league appearances for Espanyol in the 2014/2015 Primera Division campaign, but at the end of the season he moved to Middlesbrough for a reported €3 million fee.
The 186-cm-tall striker made his Uruguay debut on 14 November, 2012 in a friendly win over Poland. Stuani also represented la Celeste at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Highlighted Team (Slovan Bratislava):
Over the years Slovan Bratislava have established themselves as the most successful Slovakian club. The Belasi clinched their 13th domestic trophy in the 2018/2019 season, finishing the campaign 14 points clear of second-placed Zilina. Slovan Bratislava welcome their rivals at Tehelne pole, the stadium with the capacity of 22,500.
The Tehelne pole club wear white shirts and white shorts when playing at home, while blue is the dominant colour of their away kit. Spartak Trnava are regarded as the club’s fiercest rivals, but they hold the rivalry with DAC Dunajska Streda as well. There have always been fireworks in matches between Slovan and Inter Bratislava, especially when both teams were part of the Czechoslovak First League.
In the 1968/69 season Slovan Bratislava won the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, with the team beating star-studded La Liga side Barcelona in the title game. It has to be noted that the likes of Cvetler, Hrivnak and Jan Capkovic scored for the Slovaks in the final of the European competition.