Daley Blind admits he did not expect to be competing for the LaLiga title with Girona but is not surprised that the club are enjoying success.

The versatile Dutchman signed for the Catalan outfit in July and has played his part in their extraordinary run to the top of the league, two points clear of Real Madrid and four ahead of Barcelona.

And he does not intend to give up top spot without a fight.

He said: "I would be lying if I said we were thinking we would be first in the league.

"But it is what you aim for. The moment I got here, there was a really clear vision and a really clear idea about how we wanted to play and it's going really well.

"Of course you need a bit of luck here and there. But overall we are playing really good, attacking football.

"We fight every game. We try to impose ourselves every week and I hope we can continue and see where it ends."

Clear vision

Blind reserved special praise for manager Michel, who has inspired the attractive style of play that has seen Girona outscore the rest of LaLiga.

Michel's men have secured 5-3, 5-2 and two 4-2 victories among their 10 league wins this season and the 33-year-old Dutch international — who has featured for Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Erik ten Hag — has been impressed by the leadership.

He said: "It's not just coming out of nowhere.

"We work hard in every training session so that we are on top of things.

"It is difficult to compare managers but what stands out is that [Michel] is really clear in the way he wants to play football.

"When he talked to me before I came to Girona, he was really intriguing. He was telling me about the way he wants to play and I was triggered, I wanted to play for Girona.

"He is also a human, who is really connected on a personal level as well. There is a time and place for a joke here and there and the connection is really good." 

Huge potential

Owned by the City Football Group, Girona belong in the same family tree as Manchester City, Troyes, New York City and several other clubs around the world.

Those connections allow them access to some impressive young players — and Blind's eye has particularly been caught by winger Savio, who has stated his ambition of playing for City one day.

The Europa League winner believes his 19-year-old Brazilian team-mate has every right to be aiming high after scoring three goals and laying on four so far this term.

He said: "I knew him [Savio] already because he played for PSV [Eindhoven] in Holland.

"He has a lot of pace, dribbles well, he gives assists and he can score.

"It looks like he has everything — but he's still a young player and can develop a lot.

"We are very happy to have him. We'll see where he is in a few years."

The league leaders take on Rayo Vallecano this afternoon as they aim to extend their advantage over their prestigious rivals.

Watch LALIGA on Viaplay, available in the UK on Sky, Virgin TV, Amazon Prime Video and via streaming.