Barcelona vs Girona prediction, odds, betting tips and best bets for La Liga match on Sunday
Girona will put their title aspirations to the test as they make the short trip south to Barcelona in a primetime La Liga matchup.
Purchased by City Football Group back in 2017, Girona have never finished above 10th in the Spanish top flight, but they were level on points with league leaders Real Madrid heading into this latest weekend of action.
Barcelona lurk four points further back in third and could draw within striking distance with a victory here, hoping to put Girona in their place. The Blanquivermells fell 3-0 to Madrid earlier this season, and a defeat to Barcelona could force them to rethink their goals for the campaign. If, however, they could snatch points from this match, a shocking title charge could still be at hand.
The Blaugrana, however, need all three points here to keep the pressure on the leaders and restore some further confidence in their title defence .
USA:
Barcelona vs Girona prediction, odds
- Moneyline lean: Draw (+380)
- Score prediction: Barcelona 1-1 Girona
Girona will put up a quality fight and have earned their place near the top of the La Liga table. They came up empty in a 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid earlier this season but deserved more from that match, firing a blank from 1.59 xG on 13 shots.
They will be looking to make good on that result, and against a Barcelona team that don't finish well and haven't blown teams away of late, this match is a chance for them to finally snag a top-tier result.
Barcelona vs Girona match facts
- Date: Sunday, December 10
- Kickoff Time: 9 p.m. local (3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT)
- Location: Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys (Barcelona, Spain)
- Official: Isidro Diaz de Mera Escuderos
- Last meeting: Barcelona 0-0 Girona (Apr. 10, 2023 | La Liga)
Barcelona vs Girona: best bet
There is great value on playing market oddities in this match. For some reason, the betting market believes Barcelona are heavy favorites in this game and will run up the score on Girona, with the total skewed towards the 3.5 threshold and the Asian handicap favoring Barcelona by a full goal.
Those are both wide of the mark. First, Girona have proven beyond a shadow of doubt that they belong in their title-challenging place. They may not sport the league's best defensive unit from an expected goals standpoint, but they still do well to limit opposition chances. Barcelona, sporting the league's second-best defense, have conceded 53 shots on target, while Girona have only seen 10 more efforts on frame so far, about one more per match.
The previous three competitive matches between these two clubs have all played to two goals or less. While Girona failed to score in any of those games, they present a different task this time around, with a revamped attack led by in-form Ukrainian striker Artem Dovbyk, who has four goals and three assists in his past five league games.
Barcelona vs Girona prop bet
- Pick: Cristhian Stuani to be booked
- Odds: +220 (FanDuel)
Girona midfielder Cristhian Stuani has been a very effective super sub for Girona this season. Incredibly, Stuani has collected 6.97 xG this season despite just five La Liga starts and 524 minutes played.
That late-game effectiveness going forward has come at the cost of his discipline, something Stuani has always been lacking. He's got four yellow cards this season, owning the second-highest yellow-card-per-minute rate in the league of anyone with at least 500 minutes played.
Stuani scored twice against Valencia off the bench, triggering a late turnaround for a 2-1 win, which could earn him a starting role here. Yet if not, he's still one for the official to watch, having been booked eight times in 12 career appearances against Barcelona. Add in that referee Isidro Diaz de Mera Escuderos has the third-highest yellow-cards-per-match rate in La Liga this season, and it's a perfect recipe.
Barcelona vs Girona live stream, TV channel
An English-language broadcast is available on ESPN+, with the entirety of the La Liga season available to stream on their premium subscriber platform.
