Barcelona vs Girona

Estadio Olimpico sets the stage for a high-stakes La Liga top-four six-pointer between reigning holders Barcelona and surprise package Girona.

Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez demanded a response from his side following a dismal 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano, and they provided one with a gutsy 1-0 home win against fierce rivals Atletico Madrid last weekend. Despite stitching together four consecutive games without losing in all competitions (W3, D1) since a shocking 1-0 Champions League defeat at Shakhtar Donetsk in early November, Barcelona’s recent performances have flattered to deceive. Their last 14 competitive outings have been settled by a full-time margin of under 1.5 goals, underscoring the potential for a tight, keenly-contested affair. With Real Madrid remaining the only side to have taken points away from Barcelona’s temporary new home this season (W10, L1), confidence should be at an all-time high within the ‘Blaugrana’ camp ahead of this mouth-watering Catalan derby.

Visiting Girona should be unfazed by their opposition’s stature after maintaining their dream start to the new campaign with a come-from-behind 2-1 home win against Valencia last weekend. Indeed, conceding first will unlikely knock the joint-league leaders off their perch, considering they’ve won a league-high 16 points from losing positions this term (W5, D1, L1). Their tremendous capacity to thrive in the face of adversity faces a stern test as they’re up against a Barcelona side they’ve never defeated in the top flight (D2, L4). In addition to their ascendance to the top of the La Liga standings, ‘Los Blanquivermells’ have established themselves as season entertainers, with 86% of their league travels seeing both teams on the scoresheet.