Barcelona Relies on its Impressive Start to Avenge Girona

Sudan Events – Agencies

Barcelona, under the leadership of coach Hansi Flick, has made a flying start to the current season with four consecutive victories in La Liga, exciting the fans. Next Sunday, the team will travel an hour to face its local rival Girona in a Catalan derby, seeking revenge for two defeats last season.
Girona finished third last season, the best position in its history, qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for the first time. However, they started this season with a draw against Real Betis in the opening match, followed by a 0-3 loss to Atlético Madrid.
Nevertheless, Girona bounced back with convincing wins over Osasuna and Sevilla, once again resembling the entertaining and attacking version of the team that made last season’s La Liga so thrilling.
Girona competed with Real Madrid for the title last season, backed by the wealth of its owners from Abu Dhabi, just four years after being promoted to the top flight.
Girona also defeated Barcelona twice last season, contributing to Barcelona’s trophyless campaign, which culminated in the controversial sacking of coach Xavi Hernandez. Xavi, a Barcelona legend as a player, left under poor circumstances amid chaos at the club.
In its effort to comply with the strict Financial Fair Play rules in La Liga, Barcelona had to let go of players like Ilkay Gundogan, Clément Lenglet, and Vitor Roque. They also couldn’t bring back Portuguese duo João Félix and João Cancelo.
The club made only one significant signing during the transfer window, acquiring Spanish attacking midfielder Dani Olmo from RB Leipzig.
With all the attention on Real Madrid, who added France’s captain Kylian Mbappé to an already star-studded squad and won both La Liga and the Champions League, Barcelona fans were initially not optimistic when the club announced the hiring of former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Flick, tasked with restoring the team’s domestic and European glory.
However, Barcelona has started the season with an impressive attacking lineup, led by the energetic striker Robert Lewandowski, La Liga’s top scorer with four goals, along with rising star Lamine Yamal and Olmo, who both shone after helping Spain win the Euro 2024 Championship.
Brazilian winger Raphinha is finally making the impact Barcelona had hoped for when they paid €60 million ($66.16 million) to sign him from Leeds United two years ago.
Despite the loss of midfielder Fermín López due to a leg injury during training with Spain’s U-21 team last week, which will keep him out for around three weeks, Flick has regained all his other players fit after the international break.
In contrast, Real Madrid’s center-back Éder Militão (26), who missed much of last season due to an anterior cruciate ligament tear, is the latest injury casualty. He will leave Brazil’s camp ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay due to a leg injury.
Midfielders Aurélien Tchouaméni and Dani Ceballos, along with left-back Ferland Mendy, were injured in the 2-0 win over Real Betis two weeks ago. They join Englishman Jude Bellingham, Frenchman Eduardo Camavinga, and Austrian David Alaba on the injury list.
These injuries present Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti with a selection dilemma ahead of Saturday’s match against Real Sociedad.
Barcelona tops the standings with 12 points, four points ahead of Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, and Villarreal, and five points ahead of fifth-placed Girona.