Girona will host Barcelona in the Catalan derby on Sunday afternoon as Hansi Flick’s side look to extend their winning start to the 2024/25 season.
After a mixed pre-season, Barcelona have hit the ground running at the start of the new campaign. Three emphatic 2-1 victories were followed by a 7-0 demolition of newly promoted Real Valladolid – one of Barca’s most convincing performances in a long time.
Facing Catalan rivals, Girona, promises to test their title, especially given that they may have one eye on the start of the Champions League campaign. Barcelona’s trip to Monaco on Wednesday evening was beaten by the Ligue 1 outfit in pre-season.
Girona, who have won their last two La Liga games, can also dream of their Champions League debut on Wednesday night. Last season’s surprise package face a thrilling trip to the French capital to face Paris Saint-Germain.
Here it is 90 min Sunday derby guide.
Girona vs Barcelona H2H Record (Last Five Matches)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Girona |
Barcelona |
|---|---|
|
Sevilla 0-2 Girona – 01/09/24 |
Barcelona 7-0 Real Valladolid – 31/08/24 |
|
Girona 4-0 Osasuna – 29/08/24 |
Rayo Vallecano 1-2 Barcelona – 27/08/24 |
|
Atletico Madrid 3-0 Girona – 25/08/24 |
Barcelona 2-1 Athletic Club – 24/08/24 |
|
Real Betis 1-1 Girona – 15/08/24 |
Valencia 1-2 Barcelona – 17/08/24 |
|
Bournemouth 3-2 Girona – 10/08/24 |
Barcelona 0-3 Monaco – 12/08/24 |
|
The country |
TV channel/live streaming |
|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
Premier Sports 1, Premier Sports Player, LaLigaTV |
|
United States |
fuboTV, ESPN+, ESPN Deportes, ESPN App |
|
Canada |
TSN+ |
Girona are fortunate to enter the derby relatively clean, although midfielder Yangel Herrera is a doubt for the game after missing the international break against Venezuela with a leg injury.
With or without Herrera, Oriol Romeu will play in midfield against last season’s injured side, while former Manchester United men Daley Blind and Donny van de Beek are likely to start.
Former Everton striker Arnaut Danjuma is unlikely to make a summer loan move with Barcelona striker Abel Ruiz in ninth place, who has scored two goals this season.
Girona predicted to face Barcelona (4-3-3): Gazzaniga; Frances, Lopez, blind, Gutierrez; Solis, Romeu, Martin; Tsygankov, Ruiz, Gil.
The good news for Barcelona is that youngster Gavi is back in training following a long injury that kept him out since last November. It is unlikely that he will be seen until October but he is making important strides in his recovery.
Elsewhere, the injury news is not so good for Flick. Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo are still missing from his defence, while the midfielder will be without Marc Bernal, Frenkie de Jong and Fermin Lopez – who suffered a hamstring injury in early September.
Dani Olmo has quickly adapted to life in a Barca shirt and will be keen to feature in Sunday’s derby, with doubts over his fitness following a knee injury he picked up in Spain.
Barcelona predicted to face Girona (4-2-3-1): Ter Stegen; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Balde; Casado, Pedro; Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha; Lewandowski.
Barcelona’s invincibility will be tested this weekend by the Girona team who seem to have found their feet after a slow start to the campaign. Under Xavi, Barca lost both competitions against their Catalan rivals 4-2 last season, highlighting the difficulty of Sunday’s challenge.
However, Barca come into the match in excellent form, picking up victories in tough battles where they are not at their best. That is a skill they may need to lean on at the Estadi Montilivi, relying on their attacking talent to push over the line.
They have already won their three La Liga games 2-1 this season. Why not someone else?
Prediction: Girona 1-2 Barcelona
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