Preview: Barcelona vs. Girona - prediction, team news, lineups

Xavi's side are currently top of the table, 11 points clear of second-placed Real Madrid, while Girona sit 11th, seven points clear of the relegation zone in Spain's top flight.

Match preview

Barcelona are in pole position to win La Liga this season, currently sitting 11 points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, although the gap could be cut to eight points ahead of this match, with Carlo Ancelotti's side in action against Villarreal on Saturday night.

Only a huge collapse at this late stage of the campaign would prevent the Catalan side from winning the title, but they suffered huge disappointment in the Copa del Rey last week, going out of the competition in the semi-finals to bitter rivals Real Madrid.

Xavi's team took a 1-0 lead into the second leg of the last-four clash, but a 4-0 home defeat saw the reigning Spanish and European champions advance to the final, where they will face Osasuna.

Barcelona have also been knocked out of the Champions League and Europa League this season, so they simply must win La Liga in order to make it a relatively successful campaign.

Blaugrana have the best home record in La Liga this season, picking up 35 points from 13 matches, scoring 27 goals in the process and conceding just twice, which is an indication of the size of the task for Girona, who will also be facing a team looking to bounce back from a heavy loss.

Girona secured a return to La Liga through last season's Segunda Division playoffs, so any position higher than 18th would be considered a successful campaign.

The White and Reds have won nine, drawn seven and lost 11 of their 27 league games this season, which has left them in 11th position in the table on 34 points.

Girona are seven points clear of the relegation zone at this late stage of the campaign, while they are only four points behind seventh-placed Osasuna at the time of writing.

Michel's side will enter this match off the back of a 2-1 win over Espanyol last weekend, with Cristhian Stuani's late penalty proving to be the difference between the two teams.

Girona have only won twice on their travels in La Liga this term, though, while they have lost their last two league games against Barcelona, including a 1-0 defeat in the reverse game earlier this season.

Barcelona La Liga form:

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L

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Barcelona form (all competitions):

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L

Girona La Liga form:

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W

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D

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Team News

Barcelona will again be without the services of Ousmane Dembele, Pedri, Andreas Christensen and Frenkie de Jong for Monday's contest with Girona.

Head coach Xavi is expected to resist the temptation to make wholesale changes to the side that started against Real Madrid, but Ansu Fati and Jordi Alba could potentially come into the XI.

Marcos Alonso is again likely to line up in the middle of the defence in Christensen's absence, while Gavi is expected to move back into midfield to allow Fati to come into the team on the right.

As for Girona, key midfielder Aleix Garcia has returned to training ahead of the contest, and the 25-year-old is expected to be back in the starting side for this clash.

However, Borja Garcia, Joel Roca, Alexander Callens, Yangel Herrera and Ibrahima Kebe are all expected to miss out through injury, while Reinier is suspended.

Valentin Castellanos should again lead the line for the visitors, while Toni Villa and Viktor Tsygankov are also set to retain their spots in the starting XI for the contest at Camp Nou.

Barcelona possible starting lineup:

Ter Stegen; Araujo, Kounde, Alonso, Alba; Roberto, Busquets, Gavi; Fati, Lewandowski, Raphinha

Girona possible starting lineup:

Gazzaniga; A Martinez, Bueno, D Lopez, J Hernandez; Romeu, A Garcia, Martin; Tsygankov, Castellanos, Villa

We say: Barcelona 2-0 Girona

Barcelona will have been wounded by their loss to Real Madrid, so this is arguably the worst possible time to play them. Girona have the quality to cause problems at Camp Nou, but we are finding it difficult to back anything other than a routine home success in this contest.

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