The next opponents for FC Barcelona are Girona for the home match on Montjuïc (kickoff 4.15pm CEST 18 October). It has all the makings of a good match, with both teams using a similar approach in terms of controlling play through possession.

Tough start

Barça's next opponents made the worst start to this LaLiga season, including four defeats and one draw in the first five games, featuring resounding defeats such as 5-0 away to Villarreal and a 0-4 home loss to newly-promoted Levante.

All the same, coach Míchel, the players and the fans are all pulling in the same direction to try to rectify the situation, and they have achieved just that. The team got a deserved draw at the San Mamés stadium (1-1) in a match where they looked much more robust. The run continued at the Montilivi stadium against Espanyol who found no way through the well-organised defence, with that match ending goalless. The Catalans' last match was also at home to Valencia, when they finally achieved their first win of the season (2-1), after going down to 10 players in the final stages, with Gazzaniga performing admirably.

New signings key to improvement

The clear improvement by Girona in recent games is partly due to the new summer signings adapting. The first to mention is Vladyslav Vanat, who has already been signalled as Dovbyk's successor in Girona. The Ukrainian spearheads the attack and there are hopes he can become the main scorer for the side. There were also three notable defensive signings in Álex Moreno, Vitor Reis and Hugo Rincón, midfield reinforcements such as Witsel, Ounahi and Lemar, plus the breakout of young Joel Roca, who is back in the fold after the U-20 World Cup.

This Catalan derby has all the ingredients to be a decisive game prior to the trip to Madrid for the Clásico at the Bernabéu.

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