Girona vs Barcelona: Blaugrana's Revenge
Barcelona will travel to Girona's headquarters to play the fifth week of the Spanish League at the Estadi Montilivi, Sunday (15/9/2024) at 8.45 IST. The match titled the Catalan derby will be a revenge for Blaugrana.
Last season, Los Cules were always defeated by Girona both at home and away. Yup, Girona had an extraordinary journey last season. Michel's team successfully finished in third place and won a ticket to the Champions League for the first time.
Girona are counting down the days to their European debut. The Blanquivermells will travel to France for their opening match against Paris Saint Germain (PSG).
However, Girona must first play a tough match against Barcelona who have started the 2024-25 season perfectly. The Catalan giants have managed to win four of their first four games and currently sit at the top of the standings with 12 points.
Another positive note from Lamine Yamal and his colleagues is becoming the most fertile team in La Liga with a collection of 13 goals. That number can only be approached by Celta Vigo with 10 goals. No wonder, if Azulgrana set a target of victory even though they are visiting Montilivi.
On the other hand, Girona started the season not so smoothly. They opened the season with a draw against Real Betis and were then beaten by Atletico Madrid with a score of 3-0. Girona was able to recover by getting the next two wins by beating Osasuna and Sevilla.
Girona are now looking for a third straight win despite being the underdogs. Abel Ruiz and company will be looking to take inspiration from the fact they beat Barcelona twice last season.
With both teams in prime condition, the match is expected to be fierce. However, looking at the consistency side, Barcelona is more favored than Girona. Several prediction exchanges are unanimous that El Barca is able to take revenge and bring home three full points at Girona's home.
Hansi Flick is certain to field the best team in the match later. Raphinha, who was the best player in La Liga in August 2024, can be relied on again. On the other hand, Girono relies on the sharpness of Abel Ruiz in the front line. Ruiz was the star of the victory over Osasuna and Sevilla.
Barcelona may be on a mission to get revenge in the match. But Girona certainly has good experience thanks to two wins over Barcelona last season. This match is sure to be fierce because both teams are in a positive moment.
Predicted line-ups:
Girona: Paulo Gazzaniga, Alejandro Frances, David Lopez, Daley Blind, Miguel Gutierrez, Oriol Romeu, Yangel Herrera, Ivan Martin, Viktor Tsygankov, Bryan Gil, Abel Ruiz
Barcelona: Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Inigo Martinez, Alejandro Balde, Marc Casado, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski
