The Catalan derby on Saturday afternoon, between FC Barcelona and Girona, will be played at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys (Montjuïc). Yes, once again, the re-opening of the Camp Nou has been delayed.
Barca’s newly renovated home will open, at some point, we promise you that. Just not right now. So on to the match preview.
Catalan Derby FYIs
FC Barcelona vs Girona
Kick: Sat. Oct. 18, 4:15pm, Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Catalonia
Barca Preview Material: Full Injury List Team News Starting XI Prediction
La Liga Standing: Girona 18th, 6 pts, Barca 2nd, 19 pts
La Liga Form: Girona DLDDDW Barcelona WWWWL
Result Probability: Girona 7% Draw 11% Barca 82%
Given the injury crisis that Hansi Flick is dealing with, the starting lineup sort of picks itself right now. Flick has so few options in midfield and attack right now…well, basically, the lineup picks itself at this point.
Here is what we see happening in the last prelude match to the first El Clasico of the season.
FC Barcelona Predicted Starting XI vs Girona
Wojciech Szczesny, Jules Koundé, Eric García, Pau Cubarsí, Gerard Martín, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri González, Fermin Lopez, Lamine Yamal, Marcus Rashford, Ferrán Torres
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