Xavi gives verdict ahead of top of the table title clash with Girona

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Girona are the surprise package of the season, as they are in a good position to fight for the La Liga title.

Xavi has said that he is not surprised to see Girona so high up in the table, and has backed them to challenge for the title this season.

Ahead of tonight’s massive clash between second and third, Xavi told the media during his press conference: “Tomorrow is a big match. For some, it might be a surprise that Girona is co-leading with Real Madrid, but for us, it’s not.

“Michel is a great coach, with a system very similar to ours. Excellent, just congratulate them. They are playing with spectacular enthusiasm, but we won’t change too much. We’ll try to maintain continuity in our game.

“Tomorrow we must try to show the same performance we had against Atletico and Porto. We’ve planned the match in different scenarios because they can play in various ways and have more individual strengths. I don’t know which Girona we’ll face, but we’ll go for the match.

“Yes, indeed, they can fight for the title, and in fact, they’re four points ahead of us. I like that they aren’t afraid, the way they attack. They’re courageous, and that’s what has put them in that position.

“We’ll see how they come out. We always play the same way, wanting to press high, but Girona varies. We’ll see how they populate the midfield, whether they do it with a full-back to create superiority… We always aim to dominate, possess the ball, and attack.

“We expect a brave Girona, a team that, like us, enjoys having possession and maintains a lot of ball control. It’s going to be a battle for possession and to dominate the game. Their comebacks? They are a team that never gives up, they know their game plan and they try until the end. As I said, they will be a tough opponent.”