Arne Slot’s European league leaders travel to Catalonia on Tuesday night to face UEFA Champions League debutants Girona.

Girona, have never faced Liverpool. The Blanquivermells shocked La Liga achieving an astonishing 81 points to secure 3rd place. However, they’ve been unable to replicate last seasons sucess this campaign already losing 6 games in the league compared to 7 in the whole campaign last season. In Europe it’s been much of the same for the hosts, currently sitting in 30th with 1 win and 4 loses, their only win coming at home to ŠK Slovan Bratislava. Girona are without a win in their last 4 games, they come into this one on the back of a 0-3 loss at home to Real Madrid.

Star striker Artem Dovbyk and Aleix Garcia departed in the summer leaving 38 year old journeyman Cristhian Stuani to lead the line. Some familiar faces from the Premier League will be Bryan Gil on loan from Tottenham, as-well as former toffee’s Donny van de Beek and Arnaut Danjuma.

Girona’s participation in this seasons rendition of the UEFA Champions League has come with some controversy. The majority stake of the club is owned by the familiar City Group with 47%. UEFA ruling is that two clubs with an ownership of more than 30% by the same party cannot both compete in the competition. UEFA issued the following statement earlier in the season: “The concerned investors have transferred their shares in Girona FC to independent trustees through a blind trust structure established under the supervision of the CFCB First Chamber.” The second lot of controversy came when Girona’s Estadi Montilivi didn’t meet UEFA regulations and ground sharing the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium with FC Barcelona was on the cards. However this seems to be resolved fairly quickly and the smallest venue of the competition at 14,624 has confirmed.

Girona manager Míchel will be without Yangel Herrera and Viktor Tsygankov who is one of Girona’s creative attacking threats. Bojan Miovski signed from Aberdeen is also expected to be absent. 

For Arne Slothe has the returning Alisson available after a prolonged hamstring problem sustained against Crystal Palace. Federico Chiesahas been ruled out with an illness. Tyler Morton and Diogo Jota have not travelled with the team. Alexis MacAllisteris serving a 1 match ban in the UEFA Champions League. Conor Bradley, Ibrahima Konate and Kostas Tsimikas all remain absent. 

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