Barcelona will visit the Estadi Montilivi on Monday evening to take on Girona in La Liga.
They aim to reclaim the top position in the league with a victory, while Girona is looking to distance themselves from the relegation zone.
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After a streak of six consecutive wins across all competitions, Barcelona faced a harsh reality check with a 4-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey.
An unfortunate own goal by Eric Garcia just seven minutes into the match set the tone, followed by first-half goals from Antoine Griezmann, Ademola Lookman, and Julian Alvarez, which sank Hansi Flick’s side.
While Barcelona will have a chance to salvage their Copa del Rey hopes in next month’s second leg, they must first navigate three league matches.
Real Madrid’s 4-2 victory over Real Sociedad on Saturday has pushed Barcelona down to second place, increasing the urgency to secure maximum points against Girona.
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Having won their last three encounters, Flick’s squad will be confident of repeating their success against their Catalan rivals.
After starting 2026 with three straight wins, Girona appeared to have moved past a difficult festive season. However, they have struggled recently, earning just two points from their last three matches following a 1-1 draw with Sevilla, where Thomas Lemar’s early goal was equalized by Kike Salas in stoppage time.
Currently just three points above the relegation zone, Los Tossuts find themselves in a battle to avoid relegation for a second consecutive season after finishing third in the 2023-24 campaign.
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To earn a favorable result against the league’s highest-scoring team, Girona will need to step up their offensive performance.
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Girona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen cannot play against his parent club, although he is sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
Juan Carlos and Portu are ruled out with knee injuries, while Donny van de Beek continues to recover from an Achilles tendon issue.
Alex Moreno (muscle), Azzedine Ounahi (calf), and Ricard Artero (ankle) also remain unavailable for selection.
For Barcelona, Gavi, Andreas Christensen, and Marcus Rashford are dealing with knee issues and will miss the match, and Pedri (muscle) is also out.
On a positive note, the league leaders will welcome Raphinha back after his recovery from a thigh injury.
Predicted XI for Girona (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga; Martinez, Blind, Reis, Rincon; Martin, Witsel; Gil, Lemar, Tsygankov; Vanat.
Predicted XI for Barcelona (4-2-3-1): J Garcia; Balde, Cubarsi, E Garcia, Kounde; Casado, De Jong; Olmo, Fermin, Yamal; Lewandowski.
Prediction: Girona 1-3 Barcelona.