Barcelona will look to return to the La Liga summit by beating Girona on Monday, after a heavy Copa del Rey semi-final defeat. The Catalans trail Real Madrid by two points following their rivals' 4-1 win over Real Sociedad. Girona, 32 points adrift, have shown recent signs of improvement.
Barcelona head to Estadi Montilivi on the back of their heaviest defeat this season—a 4-0 Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg loss to Atletico Madrid on Thursday, with all goals conceded before half-time and Eric Garcia sent off late. Before that setback, they had won nine straight La Liga games since November, despite a 2-1 loss at Real Sociedad on January 18, followed by three victories with a 9-1 aggregate score.
Real Madrid strengthened their position by thrashing Real Sociedad 4-1 on Saturday, opening a two-point lead atop the table with a game in hand and superior goal difference. Manager Hansi Flick remained upbeat: “I’m not happy with the first 45 minutes at Atleti, but I’m proud of the season so far. We’ll bounce back.” He warned of Girona's organization, urging intensity from his side.
Girona started the season with a seven-match winless streak but climbed out of the relegation zone via three straight wins last month. Recent results include draws and a narrow loss, highlighting gradual progress. Boss Michel praised Barcelona's depth: “They lead Europe in squad quality and many La Liga stats.” He called for strong fan backing.
Girona will miss Juan Carlos, Portu (knees), and Donny van de Beek (Achilles). New signings Claudio Echeverri, Fran Beltran, and goalkeeper Ruben Blanco (ex-Marseille) bolster options, with Blanco declaring himself fit. Barcelona are without Marc-Andre ter Stegen (hamstring), Alex Moreno (muscle), Andreas Christensen, Gavi, Pedri, and Marcus Rashford (knee), though Raphinha returns from hamstring trouble—Flick hails him as key to upping tempo.
Kick-off is at 20:00 GMT, live on Premier Sports in the UK. Barcelona have won the last three meetings and four of their past five visits to Montilivi. Girona have managed just 22 goals this season while conceding 37.
