Preview: Defending champions Barca take on struggling Girona
This lesser Catalan Derby gives Barca the opportunity to break the bad run that took them in to the October international break.
By Filip Mishov
Can Hansi flick Barça’s form ahead of El Clásico?
Barcelona were in a mini-crisis after suffering back-to-back defeats to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and to Sevilla in LaLiga. This is almost uncharted territory for the champions, who have been outstanding for most of Hansi Flick‘s time at the club. Joan García‘s recent injury and the summer departure of Iñigo Martínez have left them vulnerable at the back, with the latter’s leadership and presence being sorely missed. Even though Barça have kept the joint-most (3) clean sheets in Spain’s top tier, none of those came with Wojciech Szczesny between the sticks and they are conceding 2.3 goals per match since the Pole returned to the side.
Further north in Catalonia, Girona are managing a crisis of their own, as Michel‘s struggling squad sits just a point off the bottom – having said that, Cristhian Stuani & co. did secure their first win of the season against Valencia last time out, moving up from the last place in the standings.
However, the White and Reds’ leaky defence is the worst in the league (17 goals conceded), while the hosts’ attack (22 goals scored) is the best in LaLiga, and that does not inspire confidence in the visitors ahead of this game, due to be played at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
Key players
Marcus Rashford is enjoying an impressive start to life in Barcelona’s shirt, with eight goal contributions in all competitions (three goals, four assists – Opta disagree with the league on that last figure). With that being said, the 27-year-old’s importance to the squad is growing further with each passing week and with Barça’s injury troubles on the rise, the Englishman is becoming the team’s main source of creativity and goals. With Robert Lewandowski now ruled out for weeks through injury, Rashford is expected to lead the line against Girona and his performances will be crucial in helping his side get out of their relative slump.
Paulo Gazzaniga remains Michel’s undisputed No. 1 in goal despite Dominik Livaković‘s arrival, but the Argentine’s form is varying to say the least and stopping Barcelona’s fruitful attack will be a difficult challenge. Girona’s keeper ranks third for most saves (3.7) made per match in LaLiga, which says a lot about their defence, but also about their goalkeeper, who is averaging a FotMob rating of 7.8 across their past three matches.
Team news
Hansi Flick’s fury towards the Spanish FA will only grow stronger after October’s international break, as both Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres have returned to join Barcelona’s extensive injury list. On the positive front, Fermín López and Lamine Yamal are back in first-team training, while Raphinha is still recovering from his injury and might not be risked with only a week to go until next week’s El Clásico.
The news is not better on Girona’s injury front, as Michel is set to be without a number of players and the likes of Azzedine Ounahi, Thomas Lemar and Viktor Tsigankov are doubtful, while Iván Martin is serving a one-match suspension for getting sent off against Valencia.
Prediction
Despite Barça’s injury woes and recent form, there should only be one winning in this game, especially with Girona’s shambolic defensive record: Barcelona 3-0 Girona.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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