Girona will be looking to secure their spot in the Segunda Division playoffs when they make the trip to mid-table Burgos on Sunday night.
The visitors are currently fifth in the table, two points clear of seventh-placed Real Oviedo in the battle for a playoff position, while Burgos are currently down in 10th position.
Match preview
Burgos secured promotion to the Segunda Division for the first time since 2002 when they finished first in Group I of the Segunda B last term, so avoiding relegation back to the third tier was always going to be their priority.
With that in mind, it has been a successful campaign for the club, who have picked up 54 points from their 41 matches to sit 10th in the table, some 14 points clear of the relegation zone.
Julian Calero's side have won 15, drawn nine and lost 17 of their 41 league games and will be looking for a second successive victory to finish the campaign, having beaten Malaga 1-0 last time out.
Burgos have impressed in front of their own supporters this season, picking up 36 points from 20 matches, while they have only conceded 12 league goals on home soil in 2021-22.
Burgaleses suffered a 3-1 defeat to Girona in the reverse match earlier this season, though, and they will be coming up against a side that is battling to keep hold of a playoff position.
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Girona have spent the last three seasons in the Segunda Division, finishing fifth in 2019-20 and 2020-21, missing out on promotion back to the top tier on both occasions.
The White and Reds are again fifth heading into the final set of fixtures, with a record of 20 wins, seven draws and 14 defeats from 41 matches seeing them collect 67 points.
Girona can finish above Tenerife in fourth but can also drop out of the playoffs entirely, with seventh-placed Real Oviedo just two points behind, so they need a victory to be sure of claiming a top-six spot.
Michel's side will enter this contest off the back of a 2-0 win over Mirandes, which followed back-to-back losses to Tenerife and Sporting Gijon.
Girona have actually lost three of their last five league matches during a poor run, but a victory in their final game of the regular season would be enough to cement a spot in the playoffs.
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Team News
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Burgos, as it stands, have a full squad to choose from, so it would not be a surprise to see the same XI that took to the field for the 1-0 success over Malaga last time out.
Pablo Valcarce has scored 10 league goals this season and should again lead the line, with Ernesto Gomez and Saul Berjon operating in the wide positions for the home side.
Head coach Calero is expected to stick with a five-man defence, meanwhile, with Raul Navarro and Jose Matos set to retain their spots in the wing-back positions on Sunday night.
Girona, meanwhile, will be without the services of Dario Sarmiento through injury, but the visitors are otherwise in strong shape heading into Sunday's contest.
Cristhian Stuani has scored 22 league goals during an impressive campaign, including a brace against Mirandes last time out, and the 35-year-old will again operate at the tip of the attack.
Alex Baena and Borja Garcia are also expected to feature in the final third, with Samuel Saiz likely to start on the bench for the playoff hopefuls.
Burgos possible starting lineup:
Caro; Navarro, Cordoba, Rubio, Sierra, Matos; Gomez, Elgezabal, Andy, Berjon; Valcarce
Girona possible starting lineup:
Carlos; Martinez, Bueno, Espinosa, Izquierdo; Lozano, A Garcia; Martin, Baena, B Garcia; Stuani
We say: Burgos 1-2 Girona
Burgos have had a brilliant campaign and have also been excellent at home, so this is a tough match for Girona. It would not be a surprise to see the points shared on Sunday night, but the visitors have a lot of quality in the forward areas, and we are backing them to secure a narrow victory to earn a playoff spot.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Matt Law
