Following the shameful performance against Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey, Barcelona have the chance to dust themselves off and get back to winning ways as they host Girona. With only La Liga to play for, there are no excuses for dodgy performances from Xavi's men. They should be bolstered by the defeat of Real Madrid by Villarreal, which means a win over Girona will take them 15 points clear of their eternal rivals, putting the league title within closer reach.
Girona are coming into this clash on the back of two wins, a draw and two losses in their last 5 games. They currently sit at 11th and have been fairly decent since they gained promotion. Only The top 3 teams in the league have scored more goals than the Catalans this season. It's unlikely that they'll be involved in the relegation battle, but they'll want to move further away from that with a positive result at the Camp Nou.
INTERESTING STATS
-Barcelona have the best defence in the league, having conceded just nine goals so far.
-Girona have only won two away matches in La Liga this season.
-Barcelona are the second-highest-scoring team in the league, having found the back of the net on 53 occasions in their 27 matches.
-The visitors have lost their last two league fixtures against Barcelona.
-Barcelona are on a four-match winning run in the league and will look to make it five in a row against Girona.
Last five meetings (in La Liga)
28/1/23 Girona 0-1 Barça
27/1/19 Girona 0-2 Barça
28/9/18 Barça 2-2 Girona
24/2/18 Barça 6-1 Girona
23/9/17 Girona 0-3 Barça
TEAM NEWS
Barcelona
Xavi will once again be without the services of Pedri, Dembele, DeJong and Christensen.
There won't be much changes in the side that played midweek. Ter Stegen will continue in goal, Roberto Araujo, Koundé and Balde should round up the defense. Gavi, Kessie and Busquets will anchor the Midfield while Robert Lewandowski will be flanked by Raphinha and Ansu Fati.
Girona
Key midfielder Aleix Garcia has returned to training ahead of the contest, and the 25-year-old is expected to be back in the starting side for this clash.
However, Borja Garcia, Joel Roca, Alexander Callens, Yangel Herrera and Ibrahima Kebe are all expected to miss out through injury, while Reinier is suspended.
Míchel is expected to start with the 4-1-4-1 formation, where Paulo Gazzaniga will be in goal. Arnau Martinez and Javi Hernandez will be the full-backs for this away fixture. Meanwhile, Santiago Bueno and David Lopez will be the centre-back pairing.
Oriol Romeu will be the defensive midfielder in the centre of the park. In front of him will be the pair of Aleix Garcia and Ivan Martin, who try to dictate the pace of the game. Meanwhile, Viktor Tsygankov and Toni Villa will be the out wide in the midfield. Valentin Castellanos will be leading the attack for the visitors.
Where are Barcelona vs Girona playing?
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Stadium: Spotify Camp Nou
Date: Monday 10 April
Kick-off Time: 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PST, 20:00 🇳🇬
Referee: Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz
Girona are very good, sometimes great going forward, but they've conceded as much as they've scored, keeping only one clean sheet this season, which is something Barcelona, who have kept 20 clean sheets, will take advantage of.
It's expected to be an entertaining derby, with Barcelona the favorites.
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