The Catalonia derby is here! It’s the current top of the table side, and La Liga champions from two years ago, FC Barcelona, visiting last year’s surprise side of all surprise sides, Girona. Let’s get you up to speed on everything you need to know for this one.
FC Barcelona at Girona FYIs
Kickoff: Sun. Sept 15 4:15 CET, Estadi Montilivi, Girona, Spain
Barca Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
La Liga Standing, Form: Girona 5th, 7 pts, DLWW FC Barcelona 1st, 12 pts, WWWW
Google Result Probability: Girona 23% Draw 24% FC Barcelona 53%
Lots of storylines in this one, including perhaps Dani Olmo, who had a dream debut. Now does he feature from the opening kickoff, instead of just off the bench?
Will there be more heroics, if he starts? Make no mistake, this is a statement match, and both sides know that winning it means, a lot more than just three points in the standings.
This is going to be one of the most anticipated fixtures of the weekend.
FC Barcelona Starting XI Prediction at Girona
Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Jules Kounde, Inigo Martinez, Alejandro Balde; Marc Casado, Pedri, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Raphinha; Robert Lewandowski
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.