FC Barcelona – Girona
The Catalan rivalry is electrifying: Led by coach Hansi Flick, league leaders FC Barcelona host 13th-placed Girona FC at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Sunday. Despite the intensive international break, Barça is brimming with confidence after their commanding 3-0 win over Osasuna and leads the league by three points ahead of Real Madrid. Girona, on the other hand, are going through a difficult phase: with 34 points, the team in mid-table is stubbornly fighting for every point, with only one point separating them from 14th place.
Barcelona – Girona Info
- Stadium: Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona
- Date and Time: 30.03.2025, 16:15
- Competition: La Liga (Regular Season – 29)
Barcelona Form & Record Check
Barcelona are currently the team in the best form in La Liga. Five wins in a row underline the Catalans’ enormous strength, which has also stabilized their defensive ranks – Barça have kept a clean sheet in their last five games. The team often steps up a gear in the second half, which is evident not only in the league but also in the Champions League, where they beat Benfica 3-1 and 1-0.
What’s more, the 4-2 win at Atlético Madrid impressively demonstrated just how versatile Barcelona are. Coach Flick knows how to make optimal use of players like Raphinha – who, after a clarifying phone call in the summer, decided to stay in Barcelona after all and now has 27 goals and 20 assists. While the offensive line of Lewandowski and Ferran Torres continues to impress, the personnel situation in defense remains tense: Ronald Araujo, Inigo Martinez and Andreas Christensen are all out, and young Pau Cubarsi is also injured.
When looking at the likely starting XI, Flick will presumably opt for his tried-and-tested 4-3-3 again. Ter Stegen is still out for the long term between the posts, meaning that substitute keeper Iñaki Peña will have to step up. In defense, the absences of Christensen and Araujo will be felt, although there is hope that Pau Cubarsi will recover in time. If he does get fit, he could line up alongside Eric García in central defense, with Koundé and Balde occupying the wing positions.
In midfield, Frenkie de Jong, fresh from recovering from injury, is likely to control the game together with Pedri and the in-form Pablo Torre. Up front, Robert Lewandowski leads the line as usual, flanked by the dangerously-gifted Raphinha. Dani Olmo is still unavailable, but this opens up opportunities for other players to get some game time.
Girona Form & Record Check
After a promising first half of the season, Girona are currently in crisis. Five league games without a win, including a 1-1 draw with Valencia and a 2-0 loss to Real Madrid, have seen Míchel’s team slip to 13th place in the table. Their defense is particularly shaky: Girona have conceded at least one goal in each of the last five games. They also often lack the decisive spark in attack, as was painfully evident in the 2-1 defeat to Getafe.
There is hope, though, with the possible return of Abel Ruiz, who could be fit again after his injury break against his former club Barcelona. Bojan Miovski also scored twice for the national team of North Macedonia – perhaps just the spark that Girona need to get back on track.
Girona are expected to stick with the 4-2-3-1 system that has seen good results at times under the stewardship of coach Míchel. Gazzaniga is expected to be in goal, protected by a back four of Martínez, Blind, Krejčí and Gutiérrez. Ladislav Krejčí returns from the Czech Republic with fresh confidence after playing a key role in their wins over the Faroe Islands and Gibraltar.
In the defensive midfield role, Herrera and Arthur are available, with Yangel Herrera in fine form after his international duty with Venezuela. In front of them, the three-man midfield looks set to be Tsygankov, Martín and Danjuma, with Bojan Miovski as the lone striker. Bryan Gil is still out with a torn ligament, but there is hope that Abel Ruiz will be able to make his comeback, at least in the squad, and play against his former club.
Barcelona – Girona Head to head & statistics
A glance at their most recent meetings promises goals: in the last five encounters, both teams have won twice, with one draw. In the last meeting in September 2024, Barcelona triumphed clearly 4-1 away, but before that, Girona surprised with two 4-2 wins in a row. There are often a lot of goals, especially in the second half – in several games, the second half was particularly intense, which also suggests an entertaining spectacle this time.
