Match: 2025–26 La Liga, Matchday 24. Girona FC (15th, 26 pts) host FC Barcelona (2nd, 58 pts). Date/time: Monday, 16 February 2026, 9:00pm CET/WAT (Barcelona & Nigeria); 8:00pm GMT (UK); 3:00pm ET / 12:00pm PT (USA); 1:30am IST (India, Tuesday). Venue: Estadi Montilivi, Girona, Catalonia, Spain. Referee: César Soto Grado. VAR: David Gálvez Rascón.
Broadcast: ESPN2 (USA), Premier Sports 1 (UK), SuperSport (Nigeria) and others. Online: ESPN+ (USA), Premier Sports Player (UK), FanCode (India), DAZN (Spain) and additional platforms.
Context: Barcelona come into this important La Liga game following what the text describes as their worst defeat of the season to Atlético Madrid, a result that has left their Copa del Rey title defence hanging by a thread. Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad at the weekend to temporarily seize top spot, increasing pressure on a wounded Barça. Monday fixtures are very rare for Barça, so this quick turnaround gives them a chance to respond on the pitch and restore positive momentum.
Injuries & doubts listed: Barcelona — Gavi, Pedri, Marcus Rashford, Andreas Christensen (out). Girona — Juan Carlos, Donny van de Beek, Portu, Marc-André ter Stegen, Álex Moreno (out), Azzedine Ounahi (doubt).
Form guide: Barcelona — WWWWL. Girona — WWDLD. Under coach Míchel Girona have improved their defence and balance; in 2026 they have three wins, two draws and one defeat from six games, making them stronger in the fight against relegation.
Previous meeting: In their first meeting of the season at Montjuïc Girona troubled Barça before Ronald Araújo came off the bench to score a memorable 93rd-minute winner. That match was an early sign that Girona were better than their low position suggested.
Possible lineups: Barcelona (4-2-3-1): Joan; Kounde, Cubarsí, Eric, Balde; De Jong, Bernal; Yamal, Fermín, Ferran; Lewandowski. Girona (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga; Rincón, Reis, Blind, Arnau; Beltrán, Marín; Tsygankov, Lemar, Gil; Vana.
Assessment: This improved Girona side should make life difficult for Barcelona, and the game will test Barça’s mental resilience after their poor performance in Madrid. The preview’s prediction is that Barcelona will respond and win at Montilivi by 3–1.
