Girona vs Barcelona: TV channel, stream, kick-off time, odds & match preview

Oliver Platt

Girona vs Barcelona: TV channel, stream, kick-off time, odds & match preview image

Barcelona will make the short trip to Girona for a Catalan derby between two clubs with many links on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City have become heavily involved with Girona, who were playing in the fourth tier of Spanish football as recently as the 2006-07 season.

Barcelona 6/4 to beat by -2 

This is their first season ever in the top flight and they have collected five points from their first five games.

Game Girona vs Barcelona
Date Saturday, September 23
Time 19:45 BST / 14:45 ET

TV CHANNEL & LIVE STREAM


Denis Suarez Barcelona

In the UK, the match will be available to watch live on television on Sky Sports Football and by stream via Sky Go.

UK TV channel Online stream
Sky Sports Football Sky Go

In the US, the match will be available to watch live on television on beIN Sports and by stream via beIN Sports Connect.

US TV channel Online stream
beIN Sports beIN Sports Connect

SQUADS & TEAM NEWS


Position Girona players
Goalkeepers Iraizoz, Bono
Defenders Espinosa, Mojica, Ramalho, Alcala, Juanpe, Muniesa, Planas, Maffeo
Midfielders Granell, Pons, Portu, Amagat, Benitez, Douglas, Timor, Boulaya, A. Garcia, B. Garcia
Forwards Stuani, Olunga, Moreno, Kayode

Girona will be missing former Barcelona defender Marc Muniesa, who is injured.

Potential starting XI: Iraizoz; Juanpe, Alcala, Espinosa; Maffeo, Pons, Granell, Mojica; Kayode, Stuani, B. Garcia.

Position Barcelona players
Goalkeepers Ter Stegen, Cillessen
Defenders Semedo, Pique, Mascherano, Alba, Digne, Vidal, Umtiti, Vermaelen
Midfielders Rakitic, Busquets, D. Suarez, Arda, Iniesta, Paulinho, Roberto, Gomes
Forwards L. Suarez, Messi, Deulofeu, Alcacer

Barca are missing Ousmane Dembele, who is unlikely to play again this year, as well as Rafinha.

Andres Iniesta could be rested with a view to starting the Champions League meeting against Sporting in midweek.

Potential starting XI: Ter Stegen; Roberto, Mascherano, Umtiti, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Paulinho; Deulofeu, Messi, L. Suarez.


BETTING & MATCH ODDS


Ernesto Valverde Barcelona

Barca are 1/4 favourites to win, according to dabblebet, with Girona priced at 10/1 and the draw available at 5/1.

Click here to view dabblebet's full selection of available match markets.


GAME PREVIEW


Girona

Girona fit into Manchester City's increasingly wide network of football clubs across the world and have five players on loan from their parent club this season.

The reach of the City Football Group - founded by City owner Sheikh Mansour - now extends from Australia to the United States and also includes Spain, Japan and Uruguay.

The City Football Group owns 44.3% of Girona, who are looking to surpass Espanyol as Barcelona's biggest rivals in Catalonia.

What makes the situation even more interesting, though, is that City's pursuit of a club in the region appears to be related to their manager, Pep Guardiola, who oversaw the most successful spell in Barca's history.

Pep's brother, Pere, also owns 44.3% of Girona, putting the Guardiolas and their benefactors from Abu Dhabi on equal footing.

Whether Girona are simply a development tool for City's young players or a project that Pep could become directly involved with himself when his time at the Etihad Stadium ends will be fascinating to watch.

Oliver Platt