Not only is it a derby but it’s also a clash between two teams that will be competing in this season’s Champions League, the first time there have ever been two Catalans teams in the competition. Barça make the short trip north to Girona for this Sunday’s 4.15pm CEST kick-off, and here’s the lowdown on a team that surprised everyone last season.

WHERE THEY’RE FROM

The capital of the province of the same name, in the north-east of Catalonia, Girona doesn’t even make the top ten of the biggest Catalan cities, and until it’s football team started achieving wonders, it was mainly known to the outside world for budget airline flights to the Costa Brava and for being one of the filming locations of Game of Thrones. It’s stunningly preserved medieval old quarter was a very fine choice indeed.

HISTORY

Founded in 1930, until recently Girona FC was little more than one other of the many provincial Catalan clubs fighting it out in the lower leagues. As recently as 1999, they were down in the fifth tier 1a Catalana, and it wasn’t until 2009 that they made it into the second division for the first time in almost 60 years.

From there, things just got better and better. After knocking on the Liga door in a number of seasons, they finally made it for the first time ever in 2017. That was also the year that the City Football Group, owners among others of Manchester City, bought a stake in the club. That certainly helped the Girona cause, but it would be grossly unfair to suggest that it is the only reason for their newfound success. This is a club that has done a lot of things very right.

Despite a brief drop back down to the second division, they have adapted well to life in the elite. But the 2023/24 season surpassed all expectations. They were serious candidates to win the Liga title until late in the season, and eventually finished third, earning them European qualification for the first time, and in no less than the Champions League itself.

HEAD TO HEAD

After joining the first division, Girona gave Barça a number of frights in their first few games, but had never actually won the derby fixture until last season, when they stunned the Estadi Olimpic with a very impressive 4-2 win. And when the sides met at Montilivi later in the season, they repeated the trick, just as emphatically and by the same score. Coupled with the 0-0 draw the year before, that makes it three games since Barça defeated their neighbours.

Last 5 meetings (all La Liga)
04/05/24 Girona 4-2 Barça
10/12/23 Barça 2-4 Girona
10/04/23 Barça 0-0 Girona
28/01/23 Girona 0-1 Barça
27/01/19 Girona 0-2 Barça

FORM GUIDE

After drawing at Betis and getting heavily beaten by Atlético Madrid, it seemed that last season’s exploits had been flash in the pan, and that we are unlikely to see Girona return to the same dizzy heights in 2024/25. But then they trounced Osasuna 4-0 and looked very convincing when they won 2-0 at Sevilla.

That puts them fifth in the league going into a week in which not only will they be hsoting Barça but they also have their first ever Champions League fixture. And it’s a big start. Paris St Germain away.

THE PLAYERS

It’s understandable that some times was needed to adapt. Victims of their own success, Girona have had to cope with the departures of Yan Couto (Borussia Dortmund), Eric Garcia and Pablo Torre (both Barça), Aleix Garcia (Leverkusen), Savinho (Man City) and last season’s Liga top goalscorer Artem Dovbyk (Roma).

They have compensated by bringing in 11 new faces. In defence they have added Francés (Zaragoza) and Krejci (Sparta Prague), the midfield now includes the returning Oriol Romeu (Barça) as well Donny Van de Beek (Manchester United).

But it’s in attack where most of the new names are allocated. Abel Ruiz (Braga) and Bojan Miovski (Aberdeen) in the middle have Bryan Gil (Tottenham), Yaser Asprilla (Watford) and Danjuma (Villarreal) on the wings. There is also some young promise in Misehouy (Ajax) and Pau López (Marseille) provides extra cover between the goalposts.

Most international caps
Daley Blind (Netherlands, 108), Viktor Tsyhankov (Ukraine, 55), Cristhian Stuani (Uruguay, 50), Yangel Herrera (Venezuela, 37), Bojan Miovski (N Macedonia, 23), Donny van de Beek (Netherlands, 19), Ladislav Krejčí (Czechia, 13), Yáser Asprilla (Colombia, 7), Arnaut Danjuma (Netherlands, 6)

Barça connections
Defender Oriol Romeu was a graduate of the Barça youth system, but it would eventually be at Southampton where he made his name. He left the Saints for Girona in 2022, and a year later was signed back to Barça. After one season in the blaugrana jersey, he has been loaned back to Girona for this campaign.

Forward Abel Ruiz played 68 games for Barça B from 2017–20 before having a very successful few years at Braga in Portugal. He returned to Catalonia, this time to Girona, this summer.

Defender Arnau Martínez was at La Masia for a short while in his youth before joining l’Hospitalet.

THE BOSS

Miguel Ángel Sánchez Muñoz, known as Míchel, spent most of his playing days at Rayo Vallecano, and that is also the club where he started out as a manager. He helped them to promotion into the first division, then did the same with Huesca, and completed the hat-trick when he led Girona up in 2021. There are certainly no flies on Michel’s track record, and last year turned out to be his best yet.

FC Barcelona International Diary