Who will win La Liga in 2023-24?
At the outset of the season, eyebrows would have been raised if the responses to this question did not include the names of the big three of Spanish football: Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid have undoubtedly earned the right to be recognized as Spanish giants, but they have only won the championship twice in the previous decade — in 2013-14 and 2020-21 — with the remainder going to either Real Madrid or Barcelona. In fact, Valencia was the last club to win the championship outside of the aforementioned top three, and that was 19 years ago.
However, with over half of the current season finished, Girona is only second on the standings owing to goal difference. With 14 victories, three draws, and one loss in 18 games, they have 45 points, the same as Real Madrid, who have also played the same amount of games.
Girona have been in the top half of the standings virtually from the start. Since opening their fourth season in Spain’s top flight with a 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad, the charges under Spanish coach Michel have only lost once, a 3-0 thumping at the Estadi Montilivi against record 35-time winners Real Madrid in September.
They have subsequently turned things around, giving Carlo Ancelotti’s side a fight for their money in their attempt to reclaim the championship from reigning champions Barcelona.
The most motivating result for Girona was their visit to the Olympic Stadium, when they startled their Catalan neighbors and one of the traditional championship contenders, Barcelona.
While it was a tense struggle, Girona managed to grab the lead, regain it after it was even, and then go away with a 4-2 victory, their first-ever victory against Barcelona in a top-flight match.
Girona has done it many times this season. Comeback victories by identical 2-1 margins away from Sevilla, Villarreal, and at home against Valencia, a 5-3 thrashing of Mallorca in a game in which they conceded first, and holding their nerves to snare all three points with late winners against Las Palmas and Celta Vigo – all of this demonstrates that they have enough character in their ranks to make their surge even more formidable.
Using the scouting resources provided by City Football Group – a multi-club model of which Girona is a part – they have acquired the services of two Ukrainians in Viktor Tsygankov and Artem Dovbyk, who have transformed Girona into one of Spain’s most dynamic and potent attacking forces. Dovbyk has not only positioned himself firmly in the Pichichi race, but has also been a big cause behind Girona scoring the most goals (42 Goals For) this season.
Girona have already drawn parallels to Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester City, who stunned the world by winning the Premier League in 2016. Parallels might also be made from the fact that the managers of both teams — Leicester’s Ranieri in 2016 and Girona’s Michel in 2023 — maintained a modest demeanor while continuing to surprise everyone.
“I don’t know if we have the ability to win LaLiga, but we are capable of beating any opponent,” Michel stated after his team defeated Barcelona.
Despite recurrent success in practically every game week, it was always a pipe dream that Leicester would one day accomplish the inconceivable, until they did it. The same may be said about Girona.
They are, in fact, at the top of the table, and it is apparent that they have emerged as a strong championship contender. But will they be able to pull it off?
Girona still has a long way to go, as they have still to play Simeone’s Atletico Madrid and also have a key journey to the Santiago Bernabeu for the return leg in February.
With no European strain on them, unlike the other three Spanish heavyweights, they will have more opportunity to rest and rotate the team by prioritizing each LaLiga meeting as it comes along.
Girona, a club that is forced to practice on a leased golf course, cannot afford to slow down now. Even if nothing else, they have earned the right to imagine the unfathomable and fight for it with all they have.