The hosts are heading into the match on the back of a narrow 1-0 league-defeat to Villarreal last weekend, while Barcelona got the better of Real Sociedad with an identical scoreline in the quarter-finals of Copa del Rey, in the mid-week.
Barcelona will travel to Montilivi to take on Catalan rivals Girona in a la Liga fixture on Saturday. The hosts are heading into the match on the back of a narrow 1-0 league-defeat to Villarreal last weekend, while Barcelona got the better of Real Sociedad with an identical scoreline in the quarter-finals of Copa del Rey, in the mid-week. As of now, Blaugrana are sitting at the summit of the Spanish top flight standings, having collected 44 points from 17 games, three clear of second-placed Real Madrid. Girona, meanwhile, have played a game more than Barca, and are occupying 12th position in the table, with 21 points to their name.Â
Ready for #GironaBarça 💪
🎧 ⟆〇ᑌƝᗪ 〇Ɲ 🎧 pic.twitter.com/lV5zwbw7ml— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 28, 2023
Girona, who earned the promotion to the top tier of Spanish top division courtesy of their playoff success in the Segunda division last season, have given a good account of themselves in the La Liga this term, sitting four points clear of the relegation zone. Meanwhile, the White and Reds are just five points adrift of eighth-placed Athletic Bilbao. Michel’s side have lost only one of their last eight outings in the Spanish top flight and that was against the Yellow Submarine last Sunday. Dani Parejo’s lone goal ten minutes into the injury time handed Girona their seventh league-defeat of the season.Â
Barcelona, on the other hand, edged past Real Sociedad on Wednesday to enter the semi-finals of Copa del Rey. Ousmane Dembele’s 52nd-minute strike was enough to secure the win for Blaugrana. Prior to that, Xavi’s side secured a similar win over Getafe in the La Liga, through Pedri’s first half goal. It was Barcelona’s 14th league-win of the season and sixth consecutive one across all competitions. Blaugrana have not lost a single match since Bayern Munich beat them in the Champions League at the end of October. Meanwhile, they will be facing Manchester United in the Europa League knockout round playoff tie next month.Â
Girona’s midfield trio of David Lopez, Reinier and Ibrahima Kebe will be missing through injury, while defender Santiago Bueno is suspended following a red card against Villarreal last time out. Valentin Castellanos might lead the line, with Riquelme, Villa and Martin in support. As for Barcelona, no first-team injuries have been reported recently, therefore Xavi might opt for a strong starting lineup. Robert Lewansdowski and Ferran Torres are unavailable due to suspension, therefore Ansu Fati could spearhead the attack, with Gavi and Dembele in support.Â
Girona Probable line-up: Gazzaniga, Martinez, Hernandez, Espinosa, Gutierrez, Romeu, A Garcia, Riquelme, Martin, Villa, Castellanos
Barcelona probable line-up: Ter Stegen, Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Balde, Pedri, Busquets, F de Jong, Dembele, Fati, Gavi
Girona
Opponents | Score |
Villarreal | 1-0 (L) |
Sevilla | 2-1 (W) |
Espanyol | 2-2 (D) |
Rayo Vallecano | 2-2 (D) |
Cacerano | 2-1 (L) |
Barcelona
Opponents | Score |
Real Sociedad | 1-0 (W) |
Getafe | 1-0 (W) |
Ceuta | 0-5 (W) |
Real Madrid | 1-3 (W) |
Real Betis | 2-3 (W) |
Last 5 match-results | Score |
Barcelona beat Girona | 3-1 |
Barcelona beat Girona | 3-1 |
Girona beat Barcelona | 0-1 |
Barcelona beat Girona | 0-2 |
Barcelona draw Girona | 2-2 |
The La Liga match between Girona and Barcelona will take place at Montilivi on Saturday at 8:45 pm IST.
Girona vs Barcelona | Key Details |
Date | January 28 |
Venue | Montilivi |
Kickoff time in Spain | 4:15 pm |
Kickoff time in India | 8:45 pm |
The live telecast of the La Liga matches in India is available on the Sports 18 network. Fans will also be able to watch the match on Jio TV. Besides, the match between Girona and Barcelona can also be seen on DAZn and DAZN La Liga in Spain.