Barcelona will be eager to solidify their grip at the summit of the La Liga table when they host Catalan rivals Girona at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Sunday afternoon.
Despite being forced to play Osasuna merely a couple of days after the international break, the Blaugranas swatted aside their bottom-half opponents 3-0 at their makeshift home.
That win moved them three points ahead of La Liga title contenders Real Madrid, and Hansi Flick’s side will have their eyes on the Spanish holy grail from here on out.
Meanwhile, Girona are perched in 13th place after taking just 34 points from 28 games – a far cry from their historic third-placed La Liga finish last season.
With the Catalans looking to tighten their grip on the title race, Barcelona tickets will be in high demand, but fans can head over to Seatsnet.com to get them at competitive prices.
While Flick’s side head into the Catalan derby as overwhelming favourites, Girona will be hatching a plan of their own as they look to pull off an upset and climb higher up the standings.
Match Preview
Barca continued their title charge with a comfortable 3-0 win against Osasuna on Thursday night – their fifth victory on the bounce across all competitions.
Goals from Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski secured the crucial three points in the rescheduled fixture, moving Flick’s side three points clear at the top of the table.
However, despite their impressive form, controversy has emerged over defender Inigo Martinez’s eligibility, which could jeopardise the result.
Osasuna has launched an investigation to determine whether the Barcelona centre-back should have been allowed to play in the game.
According to FIFA’s Article 5, a player who withdraws from international duty due to injury must wait at least five days after their nation’s most recent match before representing their club.
Osasuna claims that Barca and Martinez violated that rule as the defender pulled out of Spain’s Nations League quarter-final fixture against the Netherlands with a knee injury.
If the authorities side with Osasuna on the matter, Barca could be stripped of those points, which could be a massive blow at this late stage in the season.
Barca are confident the Spanish football authorities gave them the green light to include Martinez in their squad for Thursday’s game.
It remains to be seen which way the verdict will swing, but while Barca are holding their breath, they’ll need to make sure they don’t drop points in the coming game against Girona.
Girona have not been in action since their 1-1 draw against Valencia at the Estadi Montilivi. That result marked their third consecutive draw in La Liga as they struggle to climb up the standings.
They could claim a three-match unbeaten run, but it hardly matters, as they have managed just one win across all competitions since January 11.
Girona have won just one of their last nine league outings (D3, L5) and are winless in their previous six, losing three consecutive games before their drawing streak.
With just 10 games left in the La Liga campaign, Girona are swimming against the tide and will need divine intervention to finish in the European places this season.
They are 10 points behind sixth-placed Real Betis, but what’s even more concerning is the fact that only seven points separate them from 18th-placed Leganes.
Key Stats
The Catalans have a jam-packed schedule, with the win against Osasuna kick-starting a seven-game run in just over two weeks.
With Barca competing for silverware on multiple fronts, Flick’s side have to play a game every three days until their Champions League quarter-final second-leg contest against Borussia Dortmund on April 15.
The Blaugranas are in action next week as they head over to the Spanish capital to take on Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final tie.
Both sides played out a 4-4 draw in the first leg at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.
After that, Barca return to La Liga action when they host Real Betis before their firs- leg clash against Dortmund on April 9.
Barca are eyeing a stunning treble but must first make sure they get past Girona unscathed.
Michel’s troops will head into this weekend’s showdown as massive underdogs, and their record against Barca offers little reprieve.
Girona have won just two of their 10 top-flight meetings with Barca, both of which came in their historic 2023/24 season when they pulled off an astonishing La Liga double over the Blaugrana.
However, Barca got their revenge earlier this season, winning 4-1 in the reverse fixture.
Historically, the reigning Spanish giants have dominated this matchup, averaging more than three goals per game against Girona.
Team News
Barcelona will welcome Raphinha back into the squad for Sunday’s match against Girona after he missed the Osasuna game due to international commitments.
The forward is expected to slot back into his usual role on the left flank.
Academy graduate Pau Cubarsi has also been given the green light to feature after shaking off a minor ankle knock while on international duty with Spain.
The huge blow for Barca heading into this weekend’s contest is the absence of Dani Olmo.
The Spaniard has been ruled out for three weeks after picking up an adductor injury in the first half against Osasuna.
He joins Andreas Christensen, Marc Casado, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and Marc Bernal on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Girona will be without Abel Ruiz, Jhon Solis, Ivan Martin, and Donny van Beek, although the latter is suspended as opposed to the others who are out injured.
Cristhian Stuani has scored four times against Barca for Girona, and the experienced forward also netted off the bench in the draw with Valencia.
He could be named in the starting line-up this weekend and tasked with leading the line.
Barcelona potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Wojciech Szczesny; Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde; Frenkie de Jong, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha; Robert Lewandowski.
Girona potential starting line-up:
(4-3-3): Paulo Gazzaniga; Arnau Martinez, Daley Blind, Ladislav Krejci, Miguel Gutierrez; Yangel Herrera, Oriol Romeu, Arthur; Viktor Tsygankov, Cristhian Stuani, Arnaut Danjuma.
