Barcelona are still very much in charge of LaLiga’s title race, especially so ahead of a trip to Girona in a match that feels like a classic mismatch poised to showcase their dominance in Spain’s top flight. There are questions that loom large for Barcelona, though, especially with Thursday’s defeat to Atletico Madrid still top of mind.
Hansi Flick’s side return to play for the first time since a startling 4-0 defeat to Atleti in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals, one in which Atleti unrelentingly exposed Barcelona’s weaknesses – perhaps because those vulnerabilities have been easy to spot over the course of the season. Barcelona’s defensive shakiness has been a defining feature since Flick took over at the start of the 2024-25 season, a frailty usually overcome by a mighty attack. It is an approach that guided them to the domestic double last season but is not foolproof. It may come as little surprise that a team like Atleti could find a way through Barcelona’s porous defense but there have been openings for a wide range of opponents including Club Brugge, who Barcelona tied 3-3 with in the UEFA Champions League, and Slavia Praha, who kept things nervy despite losing 4-2 in the end.
It perhaps comes as little surprise, then, that Flick’s all gas, no breaks strategy is under scrutiny as Barcelona return to league play on Monday. Players reportedly told Flick that he should adjust his tactical preferences occasionally in the wake of the loss to Atleti, according to The AThletic, especially when the likes of Raphinha and Pedri are unavailable to pitch in from an attacking standpoint. Flick, meanwhile, took issue with the players’ intensity levels during the first half.
How to watch Girona vs. Barcelona, odds
- Date: Monday, Feb. 15 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadi Montilivi — Girona, Spain
- TV: ESPN2 | Live stream: ESPN Select
- Odds: Girona +600; Draw +470; Barcelona -290
Monday’s trip to Girona may not provide the answer but as the season progresses, Flick once again faces an existential question about whether or not his preferred style has its limits. The visitors will be the oddsmakers’ favorites to take all three points at Girona, in large part because the opponents have their own defensive woes. Girona have conceded 37 goals so far this season, three fewer than the league’s worst team in that regard, Levante, putting them just two points above the relegation zone heading into Monday’s match. They may like their chances against Barcelona’s chaotic back line but even then, Girona are not known for their goalscoring ability – only four teams have fewer than their 22 goals in LaLiga this season.
It makes for a favorable situation for Barcelona, who need a win to restore their one point lead over Real Madrid atop the table. Again, though, they are likely to be understaffed – Marcus Rashford and Pedri are dealing with injuries that will keep them out of Monday’s match, while there are still question marks around Raphinha’s availability. The Brazil international has not played since a win against Elche on January 31 while dealing with a short-term issue, but he did train Friday and could make a much-waited return on Monday.
How many minutes he will be able to play is currently unclear, though his importance to the team certainly is not. Ferran Torres, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski have held down the fort well with 10-plus goals each across all competitions but Raphinha has an oversized impact for Barcelona when he is available. He has 13 goals and five assists in all competitions, a sizable output for someone who has only been able to play 22 games so far this season, almost irreplaceable even though he has spent large chunks of the campaign on the sidelines. Case in point – they have lost just five matches in all competitions this season and Raphinha did not start in any of them, only coming off the bench in one of those matches.
Raphinha’s return will be a welcome one for Flick and company, who will prefer to call upon him as the push for silverware enters its final stages, and serves as a stark reminder that a closely-contested title race could very much be decided by fine margins, something the comeback of an impactful player should be very helpful with.
