FC Barcelona will host Girona on Sunday for another key La Liga battle after the team coached by Hansi Flick. Barcelona managed to win 3-0 against Osasuna on Thursday and are now currently tied atop the table with Real Madrid with 10 matches left before the end of the 2024-25 season. Flick’s side are now well positioned to win the title after winning 4-2 against Atletico de Madrid before the break and have a seven-point margin on Diego Simeone’s team.
Despite the goals scored by Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski on Thursday, Osasuna officially complained against Barcelona and Spanish defender Inigo Martinez, due to his participation in the game. The issue comes from a FIFA regulation that states that if a player withdraws from international duty due to medical reasons, they cannot play for their club for five days following the end of the international period.
Martinez withdrew from the international duty due to a reported knee injury on March 17, and Osasuna complained that his involvement in the game on Thursday violated such rule, especially because the same Osasuna player Bryan Zaragoza also left the international training camp but didn’t feature in the clash against Flick’s team. The complaint was officially dismissed by the Spanish FA on March 29. Here are storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Sunday, March 30 | Time: 10:15 a.m. ET
- Location: Estadio Lluis Companys — Barcelona, Spain
- Live stream: ESPN+
- Odds: FC Barcelona -426; Draw +525; Girona +1000
Last meeting
The last time Barcelona and Girona met was on Sept. 15 during a La Liga game won 4-1 by FC Barcelona at the Estadi Montilivi in Girona, when Lamine Yamal’s brace, Dani Olmo and Raphinha goals gave Flick’s side the three points while Cristhian Stuani scored the only goal of the home team.
What FC Barcelona are saying
FC Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick spoke on Saturday ahead of the game against Girona and bounced back to Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti’s comments.
“I have a lot of respect for Real Madrid, its history, and for Carlo Ancelotti, who is one of the greatest coaches in the world and also a good person. We are Barcelona. We’re different from Real Madrid. What I see from the players coming from La Masia is fantastic. This feels like a family, not just between players and coaches, but throughout the entire club,” he said.
Predicted lineups
FC Barcelona: Wojciech Szczesny; Jules Kounde, Pau Cubarsi, Ronald Araujo, Alejandro Balde; Pedri, Frankie De Jong; Lamine Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha; Robert Lewandowski.
Girona: Paulo Gazzaniga; Arnau Martinez, Daley Blind, Ladislav Krejci, Miguel Gutierrez; Yangel Herrera, Oriol Romeu, Arthur; Viktor Tsygankov, Christian Stuani, Arnaut Danjuma.
Player to watch
Raphinha, Barcelona — The Brazilian winger is back after missing out on the last home game against Osasuna due to his international commitment with Brazil on Tuesday. The Spanish team wanted to avoid playing twice in less than 72 hours after the international break as most of the players were only back Wednesday in Barcelona and asked La Liga to postponed the match, but the league refused. Raphinha couldn’t be part of that matchup and he’s expected to start on Sunday when Barcelona meet Girona at the Estadio Lluis Companys.
Storyline to watch
Barcelona’s key weekend — FC Barcelona have a big chance this weekend to get closer to their goal to win the La Liga title with Flick in his first season in Spain. Barcelona will follow the competitors Atletico and Real Madrid on Sunday before the Copa del Rey semifinal second leg against Atletico that will take place on Wednesday in Madrid.
Prediction
FC Barcelona are expected to win against Girona on Sunday as the away team are not performing as they were last year when they clinched a historic Champions League qualification. Pick: FC Barcelona 2, Girona 0.
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