Barcelona vs Girona Preview: Team News & Prediction
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We have quite an important Catalan derby, for both ends of the table, taking place at Estadi Olympic Lluis Companys this weekend as Barcelona face Girona.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / US – ESPN have the exclusive rights to La Liga games in the USA, so Sevilla vs Barcelona may be televised on one of their affiliated channels
How to watch online: UK – Cannot be streamed / Disney+ / US – ESPN+
Barcelona preview: Need a win
Defending champions Barcelona have started the campaign in quite average form in terms of their performance level and the defeat that had been coming did come at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan a couple of weeks ago.
Away from home against Sevilla in Andalusia, Barca suffered a 4-1 annihilation with their high-line exposed badly. That has left them a couple of points behind Real Madrid at the top-of-the-table ahead of next weekend’s El Clasico.
Girona preview: Improving Girona
Off-field issues that have been well documented by Girona boss Michel and that has led to the Catalans majorly regressing on the pitch as they begin this weekend’s round of fixtures sitting in the bottom three and the relegation places.
The visitors have managed just one win in their eight matches so far this season but they have been improving and that came a couple of weeks ago as they defeated Valencia by two goals to one at Montilivi.
Barcelona team news: Plenty of key issues
Barcelona are dealing with lots of injury issues for this one as Joan Garcia is now sidelined for the hosts alongside fellow key men such as Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin; De Jong, Marc Bernal; Bardghji, Pedri, Ferran Torres; Rashford
Unavailable: Joan Garcia (Injured), Ter Stegen (Injured), Dani Olmo (Injured), Gavi (Injured), Raphinha (Injured), Lewandowski (Injured)
Questionable: Fermin Lopez (Injured), Lamine Yamal (Injured)
Girona team news: Several issues
Girona are also dealing with several key injury issues for this one, including some key doubts, too, such as Azzedine Ounahi and Thomas Lemar, as well as Viktor Tsygankov and Abel Ruiz.
Predicted XI (3-4-3): Paulo Gazzaniga; Hugo Rincon, Reis, Blind; Arnau Martinez, Witsel, Jhon Solis, Alex Moreno; Yaser Asprilla, Vanat, Portu
Unavailable: Juan Carlos (Injured), David Lopez (Injured), Ricard Artero (Injured), Frances (Injured), Ivan Martin (Suspended), Van de Beek (Injured)
Questionable: Ounahi (Injured), Lemar (Injured), Tsygankov (Injured), Abel Ruiz (Injured)
Barcelona vs Girona prediction
With the aforementioned Clasico taking place next weekend, there is a concern for Barcelona that they will be extremely depleted with so many current absentees potentially being made worse in a derby against a Girona side that have been showing some real fight, in all senses of the word, of late. Barcelona should still be backed to out score Girona but there is now a template of how to hurt the Blaugrana.
Barcelona vs Girona tip: Barcelona to win & both teams to score
