Our betting expert expects an open first half, and Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres to score in a home win.

Barcelona vs Girona Betting Predictions

All odds are courtesy of bet365, correct at the time of publishing and subject to change.

Goals expected before the break

Barcelona were very poor defensively in the first half in Seville, as their opponents frequently breached their high line. The Andalusians would have scored more than twice before the break had Isaac Romero been more clinical.

Girona should challenge the defence in this game, especially with Vladyslav Vanat proving to be a good signing up front. They’ve only scored two away goals, but both came in the opening 15 minutes. Michel will want his side to start aggressively against a home defence that might be nervous after their recent heavy loss.

Six of the nine league goals Barca have conceded so far have come before the break. However, they’ll also notice plenty of weaknesses in the opposing backline. Flick will want a reaction, and given the gulf in quality, his team could easily take control of this contest with plenty of early goals.

Ferran to fire in Catalan derby

Injuries to Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Dani Olmo mean Barcelona will not have much attacking depth on Saturday. Since Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal are also just recovering from their issues, Ferran and Rashford will be crucial.

The former had his own fitness struggles last weekend, which forced him to pull out of the Spain squad. However, that was only a precaution due to some tightness in his hamstring. He should be fine to start this match.

The 25-year-old has scored five times already for Barca across all competitions this term. Those goals have come at a rate of one every 129 minutes. His xG total in La Liga is 4.3, second only to Kylian Mbappe.

Ferran could be worth backing to score anytime against the team with the worst defensive record in the Spanish top flight.

Rashford to build on first goal in La Liga

With few alternative attacking options, Rashford is likely to play for the entire match. He didn’t start in either of England’s games during the international break, so the 27-year-old should be fresh and ready for action.

Rashford has made a positive start to his career in Barcelona. His Champions League brace at Newcastle highlighted his ability to perform well in major competitions. He also scored for the first time in La Liga at Sevilla in their last match, with a fine finish.

The only surprise is that it took so long for the Englishman to score his first goal. He has an average of 3.69 shots per 90 minutes, which is the eighth-highest figure in the Spanish top flight. Only three players can top his average of 1.75 shots on target per 90 minutes.

Girona concedes 2.13 goals per game on average. Therefore, Rashford seems like a decent bet to score anytime, with an implied probability of 52.4%.

Our analysis: Form of both teams

Barcelona’s season had been almost flawless until two really disappointing results just before the international break.

They were beaten 2-1 at home by PSG in the Champions League, even though the visitors missed plenty of key players. To make matters worse, Barca suffered a 4-1 defeat at Sevilla in La Liga four days later. That was by far their worst performance during Hansi Flick’s reign.

As for Girona, they rose from the bottom of the table with a 2-1 home victory against Valencia 2-1 in their last match. Although Michel’s side lost their opening three matches, they’ve made some improvements recently. However, they still appear to be in a relegation battle.

Predicted lineups for Barcelona vs Girona

Barcelona expected lineup: Szczesny, Balde, E. Garcia, Cubarsi, Kounde, De Jong, Pedri, Rashford, Fermin, Yamal, Ferran

Girona expected lineup: Gazzaniga, Blind, Reis, A. Martinez, Moreno, Witsel, Solis, Rincon, Portu, Gil, Vanat

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