The final of the three sides promoted into La Liga for the 2022-23 season, Girona is the newest name to regularly appear in the top flight but are the best positioned of last season’s promoted clubs through six matches. Gironistes sit 11th, with seven goals scored and seven conceded, having won twice and picked up a draw against Mallorca.
We’ve already covered Almeria and Real Valladolid, scouting two players at each position for both clubs. The primary complaint for each of those two teams was a dearth of scoring and that concern does carry through here. Despite seven league goals, there is not a single player on the roster with more than one (1) goal or one (1) assist and no player has both a goal and an assist. However, we’re breaking form to scout the best SO5 options regardless of position, with a special focus on the many on-loan players currently featured in Girona’s starting XI.
Juan Carlos - GK, age 34
Girona’s No. 1 is enjoying his second stint in La Liga (with his third club) after play the vast majority of his 297 league matches in Segunda División with six different teams! The man deserves his due, and he has been quite good in his last 2+ years in which he saved 74% of shots and recorded 29 clean sheets across 78 second tier starts.
His current contract expires at the end of this season, but the 34 year old has been doing enough to merit consideration as a low-cost, every match starter for your threshold team, or as a mid-tier addition for a Champions SO5 that is investing bigger elsewhere. 0.475 Ξ is maybe a bit high for a player who might only have 32 starts left in his career. That’s not a slight on the ability, but even if Girona were relegated or Juan Carlos were to drop down a division at the end of this year, it’s hard to envision at 35 year old keeper having too much utility.
Three different goalkeepers have been named to the bench in the opening six game with Paulo Gazzaniga the most notable name.