Matchday 5 of the 2024/25 Champions League group stage between Sturm Graz (Austria) and Girona (Spain) will take place on November 27 at the Wörthersee Stadium in Klagenfurt. Sturm Graz vs. Girona: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Referee: Rohit Saggi (Norway)
Matches – 11 (International matches, 2023/24–2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 61;
Average yellow cards per match – 5.6;
Red cards shown – 4;
Average fouls per match – 26;
Penalties – 18%.
Predicted lineups for Sturm Graz vs. Girona
Sturm Graz (4-3-1-2): Kjell Scherpen – Dimitri Lavalee, Jusuf Gazibegovic, Emanuel Aiwu, Niklas Geyrhofer – Otar Kiteishvili, Lovro Zvonarek, Tomi Horvat – William Böving – Sidi Yatta, Mika Biereth.
Girona (4-2-3-1): Paulo Gazzaniga – Juanpe, David Lopez, Daley Blind, Ladislav Krejci – Ivan Martin, Oriol Romeu – Donny van de Beek, Miguel Gutierrez, Bryan Gil – Bojan Miovski.
Sturm Graz
The Austrian side is among the bottom five teams that have yet to earn a single point after four rounds. At the start of the group stage, Sturm Graz lost away to Brest (1-2), scoring their only goal in the main stage of the Champions League so far. The team then suffered goalless defeats: at home to Club Brugge (0-1) and Sporting (0-2), and away to Borussia Dortmund (0-1). In the Champions League, only Bologna has also failed to score after four matches, with Young Boys managing just one goal.
- Sturm Graz is on a six-match losing streak in the Champions League.
- No more than three goals have been scored in regular time in 6 of the club's last 8 matches in this tournament.
- The number "1" appeared in the final score in 6 of the last 8 games for the Austrians in the Champions League.
Girona
The Catalans have only three points, which were earned in a home match against Slovan (2-0). In other matches, the Spaniards have only tasted defeat. At the start of the tournament, the team lost by a one-goal margin to PSG (0-1) and Feyenoord (2-3), followed by their first heavy defeat in the last round – away to PSV (0-4). Michel Sanchez's side is positioned 29th, trailing the 24th spot by 2 points.
Due to injuries, midfielders Yangel Herrera and Gabriel Miseu, as well as forward Arnaut Danjuma, will not play. Defender Arnau Martinez will miss the match due to suspension.
- Girona's uncompromising streak in the Champions League and La Liga stands at nine matches (5 wins and 4 losses).
- At least one team failed to score in 6 of the last 7 meetings for the Catalans in both tournaments.
- The Spanish club has only one win in their last six away matches in the Champions League and La Liga (1 draw and 4 losses).
Sturm Graz vs. Girona: Match Prediction
Both teams have slim chances of reaching the Champions League playoffs. Nevertheless, I believe the Catalans will at least not lose in the upcoming match and may even secure three points. The team's injury list has notably decreased, and they are much more active in attack in the group stage compared to the hosts (4 goals for the Spaniards, while the Austrians have only scored once). It's also worth noting that Sturm Graz has suffered 10 defeats in their last 12 Champions League matches over 90 minutes (1 win and 1 draw).
Overall, the upcoming match is the last "easy" one for Girona in this tournament, where they can potentially earn points. The Catalans will later face Liverpool and Arsenal at home, as well as an away match against Milan. It's evident that Michel Sanchez's side will be highly motivated for the match in Austria, aiming to secure three valuable points that could help them rank among the top 24.
My prediction: Girona with a handicap (0)
