La Liga: This Catalan Derby is an Epic

Barcelona vs Girona

Barcelona host Girona in the La Liga clash of the weekend on Sunday, and this derby has more riding on it than ever before.

Michel’s Girona are the surprise package in this year’s Spanish top-flight, and they start this match in second place, level on points with leaders Real Madrid and four ahead of third-placed Barcelona.

Los Blancos have a tough match on Saturday, away to Real Betis, while Atletico Madrid, who make up the top four, have a home tie with Almeria.

Both Catalans teams have a chance to make a statement here. As La Liga reigning champions, Barcelona could haul themselves to within a point of the summit, while Girona can show that they aren’t going away.

And both come into the game on the back of an impressive league win, with Barca beating Atletico 1-0, while Girona saw off Valencia 2-1, and Michel’s men followed that up with a 5-2 win over Orihuela in the Copa del Rey on Thursday.

Talking Points

Hard man Araujo will face Girona  

Would a broken cheekbone keep Barcelona captain Ronald Araujo on the sidelines for this crucial clash? Not likely. The Uruguayan defender is made of the same granite as the legendary Diego Godin, and when he suffered the fracture during Barcelona’s match with Atletico, he played on to ensure his side won a clean sheet.

It’s a small fracture, and the club says it won’t keep him out for the Girona game, and that’s good news for stand-in keeper Inaki Pena, who is set to continue into the New Year while Marc-Andre ter Stegen recovers from a back injury.

At the other end of the pitch, Robert Lewandowski is sure to make some more La Liga 2023 highlights and will aim to add to his seven goals for the campaign. The Polish goal machine has also made three assists, and if Barcelona gather momentum in the second half of the campaign, so will he.

And 23-year-old Joao Felix will go into this match brimming with confidence after he scored a brilliant winner when Barca met his parent club Atletico last week.

Los Rojiblancos fans were upset by Felix’s goal celebration, but Blaugrana supporters want to see plenty more.

Fearless Girona will stay on the front foot

Top scorers in La Liga with 34 goals, Girona won’t sit back on Sunday and they continued their scoring form in the Copa win over Orihuela on Thursday, as veteran striker Cristhian Stuani bagged a brace to add to his five league goals.

Stuani isn’t the top scorer at Girona since that honour is held by Ukrainian striker Artem Dovbyk, who has scored seven league goals and made four assists.

And with 19-year-old Brazilian starlet Savio contributing four goals and four assists, this is a very dangerous front line.

Defender Eric Garcia has impressed this season, and he is looking forward to meeting up with his parent club on Sunday. His loan deal permits him to play against the Blaugrana and the 22-year-old Barca Academy graduate has bought into the battling culture at Girona.

“We’ve been through some ups and downs but we’ve always had the same mentality,” he says.

Girona came from a goal behind with 10 minutes remaining to beat Valencia, and Garcia insists the club’s “never say die” attitude is pivotal to its success.

“It’s just one of the details of why the team is up there,” he added.

History

As newcomers to the top table, Girona are yet to beat their neighbours who have won eight of the previous encounters, and there have been two draws.

Barcelona have won seven and lost one of their home games, while Girona have won six and drawn one away.

And the visitors have been a little stronger in recent weeks, winning five and drawing one of their last six games, while their hosts have won four, drawn one, and lost one. 

Betting Tip

The La Liga 2023 betting odds make these two teams serious title contenders. But you would expect Barcelona to win since they are second favourites at 4.00, while Girona are in at 16.00, and the chances are that the current top four will be the finishing top four.

Barcelona are clear favourites to win this game, though, at SBOTOP odds of 1.44, while Girona are at 5.22 and the draw is at 4.17. I think the talented underdogs will give it a real go, but with a full week to prepare, I suspect the Blaugrana will step away in the second half.

 

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