PREVIEW | FC Barcelona v Girona FC

FC Barcelona's impressive start to the 2025/26 season was disrupted by a 4-2 defeat to Sevilla, ending their unbeaten domestic record, following a loss to Paris Saint-Germain in Europe. The international break provided coach Hansi Flick with time to prepare for the upcoming Liga match against Girona, scheduled for Saturday at 4:15 PM CEST at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, where a win could temporarily put Barça back on top of the table, depending on Real Madrid's result against Getafe.

Before the match, both teams will show support for those affected by Storm Alice in southern Catalonia. Girona began the season poorly with only one point from their first five games, prompting their manager Míchel to label the team as the worst in the league, but they have since improved with draws against Athletic Club and Espanyol and a 2-1 win over Valencia, moving them off the bottom of the table.

Historically, Girona first appeared in La Liga in 2017 and defeated Barcelona for the first time in 2023, achieving a double with 4-2 wins in both home and away fixtures. Last season, Barcelona won both encounters 4-1, contributing to a high-scoring trend of 22 goals in their last four meetings, suggesting an entertaining match ahead.

In last year's match at Montjuïc, Barcelona led with an own goal, Girona equalized through Danjuma, but Barça secured the win with goals from Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. However, for the upcoming game, Barcelona will be without Lewandowski due to a muscle injury and Ferran Torres with a hamstring issue, adding to existing injuries for players like Dani Olmo, Gavi, and Ter Stegen. On a positive note, Fermín Lopez and Lamine Yamal are recovering and may return to play.

Girona also faces significant injury challenges, with Juan Carlos, David López, and Donny van de Beek sidelined, along with suspensions for Alejandro Francés and Ivan Martín, making their squad situation arguably worse than Barcelona's.