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Barcelona can return to the summit of the Spanish top-flight with a victory on Saturday afternoon, with current leaders Real Madrid having to wait until Sunday evening to face Getafe at the Estadio Coliseum. The Blaugrana currently find themselves two points behind Xabi Alonso's men following the 4-1 loss in Andalusia, as the 2025/26 LaLiga campaign really starts to take shape.
However, Barça won't have it easy against a rapidly improving Girona outfit, who have taken five points from their last three fixtures following an extremely underwhelming start to the season.
Barcelona vs. Girona; Saturday, 15.15 (BST)
Barcelona to win and over 3.5 goals: 5/6 (bet365)
Barcelona half-time/full-time and and Pedri to score or assist: 17/10 (bet365)
Over 3.5 goals and Marcus Rashford to score any time: 8/5 (bet365)
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at time of publication and subject to change.
Expect a strong reaction
The international break has given Barcelona plenty of time to mull over what went wrong at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium, having fallen well short of their usual high standards. The disappointment of suffering their first league defeat of the season was further compounded by results elsewhere, as Real Madrid bounced back from a harrowing Madrid derby experience to overcome Villarreal at the Bernabéu.
However, the past fortnight has also allowed Hansi Flick to go back to the drawing board, as he seeks to address some notable defensive vulnerabilities and reconfigure his optimal attacking set-up. A 2-1 loss to Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain preceded the abject display against Sevilla, but no one will be panicking in the Barça camp. The reigning La Liga champions have only dropped points on one other occasion so far this term, drawing with Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish capital at the end of August.
Nevertheless, Barcelona will be desperate to not only secure a victory on Saturday afternoon but also to deliver a strong performance amidst a concerning spell of form.
In stark contrast to their opponents, Girona are currently on an upward trajectory. The last LaLiga matchday produced the Blanquivermells' first win of the season, edging past Valencia at the Estadi Montilivi in front of a boisterous home support. This long-awaited triumph came after hard-earned draws against Espanyol and Athletic Bilbao, as Girona continue to gradually repair the early-season damage. Miguel Muñoz's men lost a staggering four of their opening five league encounters, but appear to have eventually turned a corner.
Although still in the relegation zone, Girona are now looking far more difficult to beat, having tightened up defensively and added a clinical edge to their attacking play in recent weeks. However, achieving any type of positive result at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys is perhaps too big an ask at this stage in their recovery.
A high margin of victory?
As alluded to already, Barcelona will feel as if they must win - and win well. A further setback would be unthinkable following consecutive losses, so expect the hosts to adopt an all-out attacking approach from the start. There's no better confidence boost than winning by an emphatic scoreline, which is a probable outcome the Blaugrana's recent goalscoring exploits.
Barça have racked up more goals than any other LaLiga outfit this season, netting 22 times already. They've also been involved in four contests which have produced four or more goals, having regularly found the net in victories over Levante (3-2), Valencia (6-0), and Real Oviedo (3-1) before the 4-1 defeat in Seville. Therefore, a high-scoring home triumph seems like an inevitable outcome.
If you prefer to bet more cautiously, you might be better served checking out the Barcelona to win and over 2.5 goals market. Only one of the Catalans' ten matches this season have witnessed fewer than three goals, although even the 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano saw plenty of goalmouth action.
Tip: Barcelona to win and over 3.5 goals: 5/6 (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if Barcelona win and four or more goals are scored during the match.
Pedri: The man of the moment
Having suffered a series of injuries during the formative stages of his highly promising career, Pedri appears to have now put these issues firmly behind him. The talented Canary Islander has delivered a series of dazzling displays in recent times, utilising his immense vision and technical capabilities to dictate the pace and tempo of Barcelona's build-up play.
As an essential cog in Hansi Flick's well-oiled machine, the La Masia graduate is not only an expert at retaining and recycling possession, he also chips in with his fair share of goals and assists. Given his deeper-lying position, Pedri isn't expected to make as many direct goal contributions as Barça's enviable cast of attacking stars. However, with the likes of bet365 offering odds of 20/21 for Pedri to either score or assist, there appears to be value in backing the diminutive midfielder to make a decisive impact in the final third this weekend.
Tip: Barcelona half-time/full-time and Pedri to score or assist: 17/10 (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if Barcelona are leading at half-time and go on to win the match, while Pedri must score or assist at some stage during the 90 minutes.
Long list of casualties opens the door for Rashford
It's also worth shining a spotlight on Marcus Rashford. With Lewandowski and Raphinha currently sidelined and Torres and Yamal considered major doubts for Saturday's tie, the English international will bear the bulk of the attacking responsibilities. It's a pressure that Rashford should have no issue in handling, after registering either a goal or an assist in each of his last seven appearances for the Catalans.
The Manchester United loanee has claimed more assists (5) than goals (3) for his temporary employers, but will be more focused on finding the back of the net this weekend, given the absence of Barcelona's recognised centre-forwards. As we expect the hosts to notch several times anyway, pad out your odds by adding over 3.5 goals to your betting slip when backing Marcus Rashford to score.
Tip: Over 3.5 goals and Marcus Rashford to score any time: 8/5 (bet365)
Explanation: This bet will land if four or more goals are recorded during the match, and Marcus Rashford finds his way onto the scoresheet.
Barcelona vs. Girona odds
Odds, correct at time of publication, are subject to change.
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Odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.