Girona vs Barcelona, La Liga: Preview

Barcelona’s wounded stars have no time to lick their bruises. Just four days after a chastening Copa del Rey quarter-final first-leg loss at Atlético Madrid, Hansi Flick’s side must regroup for a Catalan derby at Montilivi on Monday night (21:00 CET) that could decide the complexion of the title race.

Real Madrid’s Saturday victory over Real Sociedad temporarily shunted Barça from top spot and cranked the pressure up another notch. Anything short of three points against a Girona outfit hovering one place above the relegation zone will invite fresh scrutiny of Flick’s high-line system, though the German coach can point to four trophies in 18 months and the club’s deepest Champions League run since 2020 as evidence of broader progress.

The visitors will be without Gavi, Pedri, new loan signing Marcus Rashford and defender Andreas Christensen, while goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen remains a long-term absentee. Girona, meanwhile, are still missing captain Juan Carlos, midfield loanee Donny van de Beek and winger Portu, with left-back Álex Moreno sidelined and Morocco international Azzedine Ounahi rated doubtful.

Míchel’s side have shed their early-season fragility. Since the turn of the year Girona have taken 11 points from a possible 18, the only defeat a narrow loss at Athletic Club. Their defensive recalibration has transformed a side that conceded 14 goals in a three-game league stretch last autumn, and the Catalans will draw confidence from their opening-day visit to Montjuïc when only a 93rd-minute Ronald Araújo strike denied them a famous draw.

Barcelona’s projected XI sees Flick stick with the 4-2-3-1 that has carried them to the summit: Joan in goal; Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsí, Eric García and Alejandro Balde across the back; Frenkie de Jong and Marc Bernal anchoring midfield; Lamine Yamal, Fermín López and Ferran Torres supporting Robert Lewandowski.

Girona are expected to line up in the same shape: Paulo Gazzaniga between the posts; Yan Couto (Rincón), David Reis, Daley Blind and Arnau Martínez in defence; Iván Martín and Yangel Herrera (Beltrán) screening; Viktor Tsygankov, Thomas Lemar and Savinho (Gil) supplying striker Artem Vanat.

A Monday-night kick-off is a rarity for Barcelona, but the quick turnaround may prove beneficial as they seek an immediate riposte to the Atlético setback. With the second leg of that cup tie looming next week, a convincing league win would reassert momentum and rekindle belief that the high line can survive a pressure-cooker environment.

For Girona, the equation is equally stark: three points would lift them five clear of the drop zone and inflict further psychological damage on their illustrious neighbours. Expect Míchel to mirror Diego Simeone’s aggressive template, pressing Barça’s makeshift back line and testing whether lessons have truly been learned in the capital.

Television audiences can catch the derby on ESPN2 in the United States, Premier Sports 1 in the UK, SuperSport across Nigeria and on DAZN in Spain, while streaming options include ESPN+, Premier Sports Player and FanCode.

Prediction: Barcelona’s wounded pride meets Girona’s resurgent resolve, but the visitors possess enough firepower to edge a tight contest. 3-1 to the Blaugrana.