FC Barcelona vs Girona: Chasing the 9th consecutive victory in La Liga and another firm step towards the title

FC Barcelona will return to action in LaLiga EA Sports 2024-2025 this Sunday against Girona. The team managed by Hansi Flick arrives at matchday 29 with less than 72 hours of rest after thrashing Osasuna (3-0) last Thursday in the postponed match of matchday 27, due to the passing of doctor Carles Miñarro. The team recovers Ronald Araujo and Raphinha after the international break, but has several important absences for the Catalan derby.

Initially, Pau Cubarsí should remain on the bench, as the center-back has not yet fully recovered from the injury to his right ankle suffered in the Netherlands-Spain match played in Rotterdam (2-2). Another player who will arrive with some discomfort for Sunday’s match is Frenkie de Jong, who left the match against Osasuna with some discomfort but trained normally before the clash against the 'albirrojos'.

Additionally, Flick will not be able to count on Dani Olmo, who did leave injured against the Navarrese. The absence of the attacking midfielder adds to those of Marc Casadó, Marc Bernal, and Ter Stegen. However, Andreas Christensen did return from injury this weekend, but logically the Dane is not yet in condition to be included in a squad. Despite the heavy minutes, the team continues to show its best version this 2025.

Barça seeks its ninth consecutive victory in La Liga

Indeed, Barça remains undefeated in all competitions in 19 matches played this year (16 wins and 3 draws). Furthermore, in La Liga, they only dropped one point in the first match of January against Getafe (1-1). Since then, the culés have accumulated 8 consecutive victories in the tournament, marking their best streak of the 2024-25 season after the seven consecutive wins with which the Catalans started the season.

Barça has defeated Valencia, Alavés, Sevilla, Rayo, Las Palmas, Real Sociedad, Atlético de Madrid, and Osasuna to overcome a seven-point deficit against Real Madrid at the end of matchday 20, the third week of January. Before starting matchday 29, the azulgrana team maintains a three-point lead over the 'merengues' and seven over Atleti, plus the extra point represented by the direct confrontation against both, although there is still a Clásico to be played in May.

Flick's team is the team with the most wins (20) and goals scored (78) in the tournament. Additionally, they have the best goal difference (+51), another extra point in case of a tie on the table with the whites and 'colchoneros' at the end of the season. However, Diego Simeone's team seems to have definitively given up after drawing on Saturday against Espanyol (1-1).

Girona has gone six matchdays without a victory in the tournament

Girona, on the other hand, lives a radically opposite reality to their Sunday rival. The 'albirrojos' have gone six matchdays without a win (3 draws and 3 losses), with their last victory against Las Palmas on February 3 (2-1). Since the surprising elimination in the second round of the Copa del Rey against Logroñés (0-0, 4-3 p.), Míchel's team has not been able to get back on track and has only won one match in all of 2025 (the aforementioned victory against the canaries).

Not surprisingly, the Montilivi team has fallen to 13th place in the standings, with only 34 points. Last season, at this point in the championship, Girona had accumulated 62 points, one more than Barça and was second in the table, 7 behind Real Madrid. Additionally, the team had the luxury of winning both matches against Barcelona (both 4-2). In fact, Míchel's team also salvaged a point in their last visit to Spotify Camp Nou, on matchday 28 of the 22-23 season (0-0).

Dani Olmo, the main absence for Barça against Girona

On the azulgrana side, the absence of Dani Olmo is undoubtedly the most significant ahead of the Catalan derby. The player from Terrassa scored a penalty goal on Thursday and had been a starter in the last three matchdays, in addition to playing the entire second half against Las Palmas, a match where he also scored a stunning goal. The '20' suffered an injury to the adductor of his right leg and will be out of action for at least a couple of weeks.

In this regard, Flick will have to rely again on Gavi and Fermín López to accompany the offensive trident and the brilliant duo in midfield formed by Frenkie de Jong and Pedri González. The Andalusian was a starter on Thursday and is expected to remain in the XI, while the onubense came on for Dani and provided an assist in the second half.

• Lineups: the possible starting XI of FC Barcelona and Osasuna: SEE

A new opportunity for Barça to reaffirm its solidity in La Liga

Thus, Barça faces a match against a consistently competitive rival, but clearly inferior this season, to deliver another authoritative blow with nine matchdays remaining in the season. The azulgrana team is, along with Paris Saint-Germain, the most in-form team in Europe and probably in the world right now, but cannot afford to take its foot off the gas just before entering an April that will be decisive in the three competitions at stake.

Barça could play up to nine matches in the next 30 days if they manage to stay alive in the Copa del Rey and Champions League. To do this, they must eliminate Atlético and Borussia Dortmund, respectively, in two knockout rounds that promise to be thrilling. In La Liga, next month features matches against Betis, Leganés, Celta, and Mallorca, three of four opponents who managed to take points from the culés in the first half of the season.

Barça needs to win to regain its lead advantage

Additionally, Barcelona already knows the result of Real Madrid, who on Saturday also reached 63 points after a scandalous victory against Leganés at the Santiago Bernabéu (3-2). The lamentable performance of referee Pablo González Fuertes was key for the whites to turn around a match that, despite a fabricated penalty, they were losing 1-2 at halftime.

Thus, Barça must beat Girona to pull three points ahead of Madrid and also leave Atleti nine points behind, with the same number of matchdays remaining. The azulgrana team will try to replicate their last performance in the afternoon at Montjuïc, against Real Sociedad (4-0), a match resolved before the first half hour of play. On Thursday, against Osasuna, there was also a clear sense of a match settled after the 2-0 scored by Olmo in the 21st minute.

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