Barcelona are flying high and will look to keep their momentum soaring as they host Catalan rivals Girona at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Sunday afternoon.
Hansi Flick´s men delivered a statement performance on Thursday, cruising past Osasuna 3-0 to tighten their grip on the La Liga summit, pulling three points clear of arch-rivals Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Girona find themselves in mid-table obscurity, sitting 13th with 34 points from 28 games, but a clash with their mighty neighbors offers the perfect stage for an upset.
With Barcelona in full throttle and Girona eager to make their mark, expect a fiery Catalan derby under the Sunday sun!
Barcelona march into the Catalan derby with Girona riding the high of their emphatic 3-0 triumph over Osasuna—despite the controversy surrounding their rearranged fixture. Forced to play during the international break, the Blaugrana brushed aside the distraction, sealing victory with goals from Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo, and Robert Lewandowski.
Now back at the La Liga summit, Barcelona hold a three-point edge over Real Madrid, boasting a superior goal difference and head-to-head record as they push for a historic treble.
Raphinha returns from international duty and is expected to reclaim his spot on the left, while young sensation Pau Cubarsí is fit despite an ankle scare with Spain. Ronald Araújo, rested against Osasuna, is also in contention.
However, the victory came at a cost—Olmo limped off with an adductor injury and will be sidelined for a few weeks. Lewandowski is primed to start after being benched midweek, but Andreas Christensen, Marc Casado, Marc-André ter Stegen, and Marc Bernal remain unavailable.
With Girona standing in their way, Barcelona aim to tighten their grip on the title race in what promises to be a fiery Catalan showdown.
BARCELONA predicted lineup vs GIRONA: Szczesny (GK); Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha; Lewandowski.
Girona are walking a tightrope this season. After their sensational third-place finish and historic Champions League qualification last year, Michel warned that this campaign would be a far tougher battle—and he wasn’t wrong. Having sold key players, they now find themselves hovering dangerously close to the relegation fight.
Before the international break, Girona scraped a 1-1 draw with Valencia at Montilivi, with veteran striker Cristhian Stuani rescuing a point just minutes after Diego Lopez had put Los Che ahead.
Michel faces several selection headaches ahead of this high-stakes derby. Abel Ruiz, Jhon Solis, and Ivan Martin are all sidelined through injury, while Donny van de Beek is suspended after a costly late yellow card last time out.
Martin’s absence forces at least one change in midfield, with Oriol Romeu likely to step in for added steel. Meanwhile, Stuani—who boasts four career goals against Barcelona—could earn a rare start after his heroics against Valencia.
Girona will need to dig deep against the league leaders, but with their survival on the line and their derby rivals in their sights, expect them to fight tooth and nail.
GIRONA predicted lineup vs BARCELONA: Gazzaniga (GK); A Martinez, Blind, Kjeci, Gutierrez; Herrera, Romeu, Arthur; Tsygankov, Stuani, Danjuma.
Barcelona have been a relentless attacking force this season, racking up an astonishing 78 goals in just 28 league matches. Even with Girona coming in fresher after the break, it’s hard to envision anything other than another dominant display from Hansi Flick’s men.
The Catalan giants are chasing silverware on multiple fronts and have found their rhythm at the perfect time. Girona may put up a fight, but at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, expect Barcelona to flex their firepower and secure all three points in commanding fashion.
Prediction: Barcelona 3, Girona 0
