Girona relish CL dream run as Reds loom, Atalanta face Real challenge

Girona host Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday knowing the clash offers a chance to lay a glove on a top side before their European dream peters out.

“We have reached a place which was a dream for us, a dream that we must all enjoy,” said coach Michel Sanchez ahead of their debut in the competition, but the Catalan minnows have quickly been brought crashing down to earth.

Down in 30th in the group table with four defeats from their opening five games and one win, it has become apparent that elite level European football may be a bridge too far for Girona at present.

With the exception of their narrow opening 1-0 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain, the three matches remaining for Girona are arguably their hardest.

After six-time winners Liverpool’s visit they travel to Italy to face AC Milan and then host Arsenal in their last group match.

Arne Slot’s Liverpool top both the English Premier League and Champions League tables and have beaten English champions Manchester City and Spanish champions Real Madrid in recent weeks. The latter was a fifth Champions League triumph from five games.

Last season Girona ran Madrid close in the La Liga title race until the final stages of the season when they fell away.

In what was just their fourth season in the Spanish top flight, Sanchez’s side thrilled with their brilliant football and twice beat then title-holders Barcelona.

However, they were twice crushed by Madrid, 3-0 at home and 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu, in defeats which showed they were struggling to compete against the cream of the crop, even before severe summer sales set them back.

Girona lost target man Artem Dovbyk, playmaker Aleix Garcia and winger Savinho among other starters, forcing Sanchez to rebuild.

It took time for new arrivals including Bryan Gil, Abel Ruiz, and Donny van de Beek to gel and the team has also suffered greatly with injuries.

Competing on two fronts instead of just in La Liga has stretched resources, with a whole XI of players sidelined a few weeks ago.

Girona have found some form in recent weeks, but it seems certain to be too little, too late to save their Champions League campaign.

A run of four matches unbeaten in La Liga was brought to an end by Real Madrid on Saturday with a comfortable 3-0 victory.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid usually deliver in the Champions League when the pressure is on and their trip to face Atalanta on Tuesday is shaping up to be a crucial clash for the troubled holders.

The record 15-time winners have lost three of their first five matches and find themselves 24th in the standings, with places 25 to 36 eliminated at the end of the group phase.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side travel to Bergamo this week before hosting RB Salzburg and then visiting French outfit Brest with their future in the competition on the line.

In-form Atalanta lead Serie A and have not been beaten yet in the Champions League, sitting fifth.

Madrid, meanwhile, have been beset by a string of problems including adaptation difficulties for superstar summer signing Kylian Mbappe and several key players sidelined through injury.

Italian coach Ancelotti has tried to ease the pressure on 25-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain striker Mbappe, who has scored 11 goals in 21 games since joining Los Blancos.

“He isn’t at his best level, but we have to give him time to adapt,” said Ancelotti last week. “He can do better and he’s working to do that.”

While Mbappe’s goal rate is not a cause for particular concern, his performances have left plenty to be desired given his status as one of the world’s top players.

Recent penalty misses against Liverpool in the Champions League and Athletic Bilbao in La Liga, both matches finishing in defeats, exacerbated the focus on Mbappe, who has also had off-field problems.

The striker was not part of two recent France squads, is battling with PSG over an unpaid salary claim and is also reported to be under investigation in Sweden in a rape case.

“I received nothing, no summons. I read the same thing as everyone else. The Swedish government hasn’t said anything -- I’m not involved,” Mbappe said.

Madrid have lost key defenders Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao to long-term knee injury problems.

Agencies