“The most important thing is to continue in the top flight,” says Míchel ahead of Sevilla v Girona | OneFootball

Míchel wants Girona to bounce back from last weekend’s loss to Real Oviedo when they face Sevilla in a postponed LaLiga clash on Sunday.

Initially set to be played on Saturday, the mid-table clash was postponed due to heavy storms in southern Spain and will now get underway at 15:15 GMT.

Just one point separates Girona from their opponents, with both teams sitting in the bottom half of the LaLiga table and at risk of being dragged into a relegation battle that could feasibly feature as many as 11 teams.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Míchel explained: “We’re 10-12 teams that are very close together. We’ve got to get to 42 points without looking at anyone else.”

The 50-year-old Madrid native stressed that “LaLiga isn’t easy for anyone” and added that “against Sevilla, we need to play a good game.”

Girona had enjoyed an upturn in form since the new year, picking up wins against Mallorca, Osasuna and Espanyol before being held to a draw by Getafe and suffering defeat against Real Oviedo last weekend.

Míchel is keen for those dropped points to be a mere blip, and reminded his players that “getting a positive result [against Sevilla] is important because we’re coming into this off the back of a loss.”

“It’ll be a complicated game because they press very well with very physical players. They’re a team that gets forward well; they press you all over the pitch,” he warned.

Girona came dangerously close to demotion to the second division last season, taking the relegation battle to the final day of the campaign and surviving with a one-point buffer. It is a far cry from the highs of their 2023/24 season, which saw the Blanquivermells finish third – just four points behind Catalan rivals Barça.

Míchel admitted that right now, “the most important thing is to continue in the top flight.”

“What I’m living at Girona has been the best era of my life as a coach. I’ve always felt trust, and they’ve given me a great project.”

Sevilla v Girona gets underway at 15:15 GMT on Sunday 8 February at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.