Girona still believe ahead of top-of-the-table clash with Real
When Real Madrid lorded it over Girona with a 3-0 win at the snug Estadi Montilivi in September it looked as though the Catalan upstarts had been firmly put in their place and that their audacious LaLiga title hopes had been fantasy all along.
Scroll forward more than four months from that defeat, however, and the club many thought would most likely be in a relegation battle are still toe-to-toe with Carlo Ancelotti's star-studded Real side, who they trail by two points.
Girona have gone 15 league games unbeaten since that setback, winning 11, and on Saturday can dislodge Real from top spot if they pull off a famous win at the Bernabeu Stadium.
Girona manager Michel has been at pains to play down his side's chances of shattering the status quo in Spanish football by winning the title only seven years since the humble club first played in LaLiga.
After all, the last club other than Real Madrid, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid to finish top was Valencia 20 years ago and they were hardly regarded as underdogs.
But for neutrals, and those desperate for a new narrative, Girona's challenge to the elite has been a breath of fresh air.
Girona may be part of the same City Football Group stable as English and European champions Manchester City but they operate in another universe in terms of financial firepower.
Michel has constructed a youthful squad with an attacking style that is easy on the eye.
GOALS GALORE
Ukraine striker Artem Dovbyk, badly missed in last week's 0-0 home draw with Real Sociedad but likely to play, has a league-leading 14 goals this term, the same as Real's Jude Bellingham, while Girona's total of 52 is unmatched in LaLiga.
Brazilian winger Savio has also been earning rave reviews and will be off to Manchester City at
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