Barcelona are back in La Liga action at the Estadi Olímpic Lluis Companys, hoping to respond after two painful defeats before the international break. Hansi Flick’s side sit second in the table, just two points behind Real Madrid, while Girona are fighting near the bottom, level on points with 17th-placed Real Oviedo.
The pressure is on Barcelona. After losing 4-1 to Sevilla and 2-1 to PSG, they must win this one to get their momentum back. A victory would take them top of the table, at least temporarily, and restore confidence ahead of a crucial run of games.
At home, Barcelona are usually dominant. They’ve won six of their last seven league matches at the Estadi Olímpic and scored 2+ goals in most of them. Flick’s system still shows promise, with Pedri and De Jong dictating play and the wings providing width and pace. The issue, though, has been finishing, especially with Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Gavi all sidelined.
Girona, on the other hand, finally picked up their first win of the season with a 2-1 victory over Valencia before the break. It’s been a tough start for Michel’s side, but they’ve shown signs of improvement, losing just once in their last five league matches. The visitors will look to make it difficult for Barcelona, just as they did in past seasons when they caused big surprises.Still, history heavily favors the Blaugrana. Barcelona have won seven of their last 11 meetings with Girona and scored 35 goals across those games — an average of over three per match. The last time they met, Barça won 4-1 in a dominant display led by Robert Lewandowski’s brace.
Girona will again depend on Vladyslav Vanat’s work rate and finishing, while creative players like Aleix García and Arnau Martinez will need to step up if they want to get anything from this match.
Barcelona vs Girona: Key Stats
📊 Head-to-head: Barcelona 11 wins, Girona 3 wins, 2 draws
📊 Barcelona: 6 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss in La Liga this season
📊Barcelona: Scored 2+ goals in 6 of last 7 home matches
📊 Girona: 1 win in 8 matches this season
📊 Girona: Conceded 17 goals in 8 games (2.13 per match)
📊 Girona: 3 clean sheets in last 14 away games
Predicted Lineups
Barcelona (4-2-3-1) 🇪🇸 Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Balde; Pedri, De Jong; Bardghji, Fermin, Rashford; Ferran Torres
Girona (3-4-3) 🇪🇸 Gazzaniga; Reis, Blind, Martinez; Rincon, Solis, Witsel, Moreno; Roca, Vanat, Gil
Players and Matchups to Watch
🔹 Pedri – The heartbeat of Barcelona’s midfield.
🔹 Vladyslav Vanat – Girona’s best hope in front of goal.
🔹 Marcus Rashford – Still adapting to life in Spain but dangerous in transition.
Odds Market on MSport
💵 Draw: 8.37
💵 Girona to win: 13.30
💵 Over 2.5 Goals: 1.26
💵 Rashford Anytime Goalscorer: 2.00
💵 Vanat Anytime Goalscorer: 5.00
Barcelona are hurting, but this is the perfect chance to react. Girona will fight, but with the home crowd behind them, Flick’s side should have too much quality. Expect Barca to control the game and return to winning ways.
