Barcelona Vs Girona Football Score Match 28 January 2023
Barcelona (4-3-3): Ter Stegen; Roberto, Araujo, Eric, Alba; Kessie, De Jong, Gavi; Raphinha, Fati, Dembélé Girona (4-3-3): Gazzaniga; Martínez, Juanpe, Espinosa, Gutiérrez; García, Romeu, Herrera; Villa, Castellanos, Riquelme
Following a hard-fought win over Real Sociedad to advance to the Copa del Rey semi-finals in midweek, Barcelona return to La Liga action looking to complete a perfect January when they make the short trip up north for a Catalan Derby against Girona on Saturday afternoon at the Estadi Montilivi. Including the penalty shootout victory over Real Betis in the Spanish Super Cup, Barça have won every game they’ve played so far in 2023 and currently have a trophy, are three points clear at the top of the league table and are just two games away from another Cup final. It’s been a very productive month results wise, but the performances have been very inconsistent.
The simple truth is that Barça haven’t played well enough the last two weeks, and with a huge February with giant games in three different competitions against very good teams ahead the Blaugrana must step up their level of collective and individual play to continue the good run of results as we march towards the stretch run. So the job against Girona is not only to win but to start planting the seeds of better football, and Xavi Hernández will also have to carefully manage his squad to have a strong and fresh team heading into the February marathon. Rotations are needed, but the squad is deep and healthy enough to get a win even with backups. But Girona have a very talented group of young players who have had a very solid season so far and took two points from Real Madrid earlier this season. The thing about very young and very talented teams is that they’re not consistent enough over a whole season but can be an absolute nightmare on any given day, and these kinds of teams usually save their best for Barça, especially on the road.
Montilivi is a small stadium but the crowd is close to the pitch and can be very tough to overcome, and Barça must be at their best from minute one. Without Robert Lewandowski up front they’ll have to be extra sharp when it comes to converting their chances, and Xavi needs to have a good plan and manage the game well.
La Liga leaders Barcelona return to action on Saturday, fresh from their exploits against Real Sociedad. Having secured a semi-final spot in the Copa del Rey, the Blaugrana will be eager to continue their good run in the league. The road is still not free of hurdles for Xavi Hernandez, who must continue to employ tactical traps to compensate for the unavailability of key players. Yet, he does have a large set of positives to help push his team’s campaign.
Against Girona, Barcelona will look to kill the game off at an early stage after failing to do so in their last two encounters. Narrow 1-0 wins do not do justice to the quality of the squad, and the manager will look to correct that aspect. Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Barcelona’s clash against Getafe on Matchday 19 of La Liga.
The hectic schedule shows no signs of slowing down for Barcelona. With a World Cup nestled in between the season, the time constraint forces the team to play two games almost every week. It thus becomes more vital than ever for Xavi to strategically plan his rotations. With all respect to Girona, tomorrow’s clash may be the best time for the manager to rest his stars before playing a host of superior teams.
After their game on Saturday, the Catalans play Real Betis, Sevilla, and Villarreal in consecutive games. Two of those encounters are away from Spotify Camp Nou, at Benito Villamarin and Estadio de la Ceramica respectively. After that, they go head to head against Erik Ten Hag’s Manchester United twice in a span of two weeks. Clearly, there is little chance for any form of rotation. One can hence expect changes in the starting lineup at Estadi Montilivi tomorrow. While the defensive line is unlikely to be altered, Pedri and Gavi could both start on the bench. Frenkie de Jong and Franck Kessie would likely take over duties in midfield. In the final third too, Raphinha may start on the left wing, but not many changes are expected owing to the lack of players.
Two silly red cards have cost Barcelona and Xavi Hernandez a mountain load of pressure in the past few weeks.
Robert Lewandowski had himself sent off in the Catalans’ last league game before the international break and is still serving his league ban. Tomorrow will be the last game on his suspension, and he will be available against Real Betis. A similar situation stands with Ferran Torres. The Spanish winger was sent off for an immature fight in the middle of the field against Atletico Madrid’s Stefan Savic and was sanctioned for two games. Similar to the Pole, tomorrow will be the last game on his suspension. Xavi must thus make accommodations in the final third for one more match and steer his team through the situation. There is seemingly only one solution – a forward line of Ousmane Dembele, Raphinha, and Ansu Fati as the striker. The game against Girona will be a massive chance for both the Brazilian and the Spaniard who are yet to impress regularly under Xavi. Fati, in particular, has wasted his last two starts in La Liga and must come up trumps on Saturday.
All smiles after beating Real Sociedad at Spotify Camp Nou in Wednesday’s Copa del Rey quarter final, Xavi and his squad were back at work the morning after at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper.
Dembélé in fine form – FC Barcelona
The best of Ousmane Dembélé has certainly emerged since Xavi Hernández took his seat in the Spotify Camp Nou dugout. And on Wednesday night, his winning goal against Real Sociedad was the perfect gift for his coach on his 43rd birthday. Rolfö extends stay until 2026 – FC Barcelona
Fridolina Rolfö has signed an extended contract with FC Barcelona until 30 June 2026. The Swedish forward’s deal with the club was due to expire at the end of the current season, but three years were added to her stay this Thursday morning in the office of president Joan Laporta.
Barcelona are alert to a possible Joao Cancelo opportunity – SPORT
Barcelona want a right-back in the summer market. There are various names on the table and Joao Cancelo is joining them. The player wants to leave Manchester City after his fourth season in the Premir League. His agent, Jorge Mendes, is keeping Barcelona up to date.
