Andorra has turned things around and regained confidence after three positive matches where the team has improved, especially defensively, earning 7 points out of a possible 9. A great streak that will be put to the test this Sunday against one of the top teams in the category, Girona.
The Catalans have started the season somewhat irregularly, but they undoubtedly have one of the strongest squads in the league and are one of the main contenders to fight for promotion.
Objective: Return to the First Division
After being relegated last season, Girona does not hide that their goal is to regain their place in the top division. They have in their ranks some players with extensive experience in the top tier –Stuani, Portu, Gazzaniga, Àlex Moreno, David López, Vanat, Carles Pérez, Abel Ruiz, Bryan Gil, Van de Beek, among others– and have built a team aiming to secure promotion to the first division.
Currently, the team coached by Quique Álvarez occupies the seventh position, just one point away from the promotion playoff zone after 4 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses in the first nine matches of the championship. They are coming off a draw in Tenerife –despite taking the lead– in the last matchday, while their most recent home game also ended in a draw against Mallorca.
24 years since the last league encounter
Andorra and Girona last faced each other two seasons ago in the Copa Catalunya, a match played at the Estadi Nacional that ended with the red-and-white team securing victory along with a ticket to the final of the competition. However, for a league match, we have to go much further back.
The Tricolors and the Girona team met in the Third Division during the 2001/02 season, with Andorra losing both matches. In Girona, the locals won 1-0, while in the second leg, a match played at the Estadi Comunal on May 5, 2002, the result was 1-2.
In total, both teams have crossed paths in four seasons in the old Second Division B, two seasons in the Third Division, and in two Copa del Rey knockout rounds, in addition to the aforementioned Copa Catalunya match. The record stands at three Tricolor victories, six draws, and eight Girona victories.
Arcediano Monescillo to officiate the match
The referee in charge will be Dámaso Arcediano Monescillo, from the Castilla-La Mancha committee, aged 42, who has only officiated two matches this season due to an injury – resulting in one draw and one away victory. He will be assisted on the sidelines by Valverde Monsalve and Sanz Torcal, while Catalan Gerard Rius will serve as the fourth official. In the VAR booth, López Toca and Ais Reig will be present.
Andorra has only one previous encounter with this referee, who was born in Puertollano: a narrow defeat during Zaragoza's visit to the Estadi Nacional (0-1) in the 2023/24 season.
Andorra will not be alone in Montilivi
As in Sabadell, despite the postponement of the match, the tricolor fans will take advantage of one of the few nearby trips of the season to support the team. Thus, around 200 fans will be spread across the stands of Montilivi to cheer on the team and try to push for a fourth consecutive match adding points.
The squad
Andorra will travel to Girona with 23 players, with the uncertainty of Bomba, who has not yet fully recovered from recent discomfort, and whose inclusion in the final squad will be decided tomorrow at the last minute. Pau López, who is still dealing with some issues, will definitely be out, as will Andoni López, Álex Calvo, Gael Alonso, and Théo Le Normand.
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