Two of the Segunda Division’s most underwhelming sides of the 2022/23 season will meet this Friday night as action in Spain’s second tier continues during the international break with Sporting Gijon playing hosts to Ibiza at El Molinón.
It's now the sixth season in a row for Gijon down in the Segunda Division, and this season has started as badly as any of the previous five.
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The club normally competes in the upper end of the table and although they have finished 13th and 12th in two of the past three seasons, the club only has two wins on record right now.
They kicked things off with a 1-1 draw against Miranda before registering their first win of the season by beating Andorra.
Uros Durdevic bagged twice that day, as Carlos Izquierdoz and Aitor Garica netted a goal each in a 4-1 win. Stunningly, however, Gijon saw just 26% of the ball that day on home soil and a better side probably would have beaten them.
Gijon also defeated Ponderradina two games later, as Jose Gragera, Ferney Otero and Giovanni Zarfino all scored a goal each in a 3-1 win away from home. Once again, the club saw very little ball possession (34%) and with them also conceding five shots on target, the early worries were starting to kick in.
Gijon are also on a two-game losing run now too, with Racing and Real Zaragoza both beating them by a 2-0 and 1-0 scoreline respectively, as the club failed to score in a game for the third time in six outings in Spain’s second tier.
Now, they sit 12th with two wins, two draws and two losses on record, but with a dismal goalscoring record of just six goals and eight conceded, alarm bells are ringing around El Molinón.
As for Ibiza, things are even worse for them despite the same amount of wins on board. Javier Baraja's men have scored just four times and let in eight goals and sit 18th in the league after six games.
What's more, with three losses already, their record of 50% of games being lost means just a three-point gap on the bottom three ahead of this one.
Stunningly, however, in complete contrast to Gijon, Ibiza are on a two-game winning run and have managed to jump out of the relegation spots with this record.
They beat Real Oviedo away from home last time out as Ekain Zenitagoia scored from the penalty spot, although Juan Fernandez was sent off late on and now misses this game. Ibiza also beat Tenerife 1-0 just prior to this.
Forebet predicts a win for Gijon and the game to see under 2.5 goals.