Will Barca’s offense shoot away their frustration?
After a very successful 2024/25 season on all levels, FC Barcelona is currently experiencing a bit more turmoil. The reasons are varied. Among other things, there are reports of internal problems between Hansi Flick and President Laporta because the latter is pushing to reintegrate former top talent Ansu Fati after the end of his loan spell at Monaco. The former Bayern coach disagrees and could therefore possibly stumble over his stubborn pride.
However, in order to make a prediction for Barcelona’s upcoming league match against Girona, it is advisable to assess the sporting status quo. Of course, the Catalans are considered the clear favorites at home against the surprise team of the 23/24 season. Anything less than a convincing home win would be unexpected.
And that’s despite the fact that Flick’s team had to cope with two setbacks before the international break. First, they lost 2-1 at home in the Champions League match against defending champions Paris St. Germain. Then they suffered a painful 4-1 defeat at Sevilla FC in La Liga. As a result, FCB must continue to give way to arch-rivals Real Madrid in the standings.
To make matters worse, the Blaugrana are struggling with major injury concerns at this early stage of the season. With around a week to go before the eagerly awaited Clásico in Spain, Hansi Flick is already without Raphinha, Fermin Lopez, Gavi, Dani Olmo, ter Stegen, and regular keeper Garcia. Now, with Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski, two more players have joined the infirmary. At least Lamine Yamal is set to return. Nevertheless, the tense personnel situation is a reason to refrain from predicting too high an FCB handicap ahead of the Barcelona vs. Girona match.
Nevertheless, the Barcelona vs. Girona odds are not really recommendable for a surprise coup by the visitors. The Red and Whites, who were still competing with the best club teams in Europe in the Champions League last year, have made a false start. The team of long-time successful coach Míchel currently has just six points to its name.
This puts the “Blanquivermells” in 18th place and, with 17 (!) goals conceded, they also have the weakest defense in the Spanish top flight. The men from northern Catalonia have already conceded three or more goals three times this La Liga season. This is a feast for the Barca offense, which, however, also needs to score goals to conceal its defensive weaknesses. Only three clean sheets in the first ten competitive games prove the continuing deficits against the ball, as do eight goals conceded in the last four games involving the Blue and Reds.
Barcelona – Girona Head-to-head record
These clubs have met twelve times in the past. Barcelona clearly leads the head-to-head record with eight wins, two draws, and two defeats. However, both defeats came in the last four direct encounters. Incidentally, this pairing has usually been characterized by spectacular games. In 2023/24 and 24/25, at least five goals were scored in four games. In the previous season, Barcelona prevailed 4-1 in both the home and away games. The Barcelona vs. Girona betting odds for both teams to score on Saturday evening are also extremely interesting.
Barcelona – Girona Tip
One week before the “Clásico,” FC Barcelona is desperate to get back on track. After two defeats against PSG (1-2) and Sevilla FC (1-4), FC Girona is a welcome opponent, who finally celebrated their first win of the season before the international break, remained unbeaten in three consecutive games, and yet still have the most vulnerable defense in La Liga, sitting 18th in the standings.
Barca will be without many key players but will still be aiming for a comfortable victory. However, considering they have conceded eight goals in their last four games, it would be wise to be cautious about betting on a three-point win for the favorites, including a clean sheet. In my opinion, it is smarter to choose a bet that is not affected by the three-way market. Here, the over 1.5 (1st half) at 1.70 caught my eye. After all, a whopping 20 goals have been scored in the last four encounters. The Catalan derby is well known for its spectacle.
