Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez lamented that it will be “difficult to sleep” after the 0-4 thrashing by archrivals Real Madrid, who knocked the La Liga leaders out of the Copa del Rey on Wednesday. However, the upcoming match will be played on the final day of the matchweek, which at least gives Xavi enough time to recover his players. The league remains the only competition left for Barca, and despite holding a massive 12-point lead before this weekend, Xavi said “there are 11 finals left.” The first of those finals will be the Catalan derby against Girona, who lost 0-1 in the first round and left Camp Nou with no points when they last visited. A repeat result or even the same number of goals would be a surprise even against a rampant Barca, who have only conceded two goals at home all season. After 27 rounds of the current campaign, the Blaugrana have 23 wins and two draws, totaling 71 points and holding the top spot in the table. Today, de Jong, Dembele, Pedri, and Kristensen will be unable to take the field due to a leg injury.
Neighbours from Girona have attracted almost as much attention as their respected opponents with their fantastic performance this season. Their average of 3.11 goals per game is the best in La Liga, while only the top three clubs have scored more than 42 goals this campaign. Despite being only seven points above the relegation zone in this match, the threat of relegation is not yet averted, but Michel’s team still entertains neutral observers. Goals remain a consistent theme even away from home: in the last three away games of “Girona”, a total of 14 goals were scored. Considering that in two of these games, one of the teams was leading 2-0 within the first 20 minutes, one can expect a flurry of scored and conceded goals from the start. After 27 rounds, the guests have nine wins and seven draws, which corresponds to 34 points and 11th place in the standings. In the visitors’ infirmary, Garcia, Callens, Roca, Reiner, Kebbe, and Errera, who have a muscle injury, will not be able to take to the football field today. More direct win prediction can be obtained from the link provided.
