Our prediction for this Copa del Rey match:
Linares
Match Time & Date:
19/12/2019
03:00 PM
Prediction: 1-0
Girona
A place in the Copa del Rey round two will be at stake when Linares Deportivo and Girona square off against each other at Estadio Municipal de Linarejos on Thursday evening. The hosts have been producing terrific displays in Tercera Division this season, and they are on the right track to secure automatic promotion to Segunda B. Linares Deportivo have big ambitions for the 2019/2020 Spanish Cup campaign as well, and they are surely capable of making life difficult for Girona in front of home fans.
The Catalan outfit, on the other hand, are on a quest to return to the Spanish top flight. Jose Marti’s men sit in the sixth position in the Segunda Division standings ahead of the trip to Linares, but away win should not be considered as they are not regarded as good travellers.
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 (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.
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