Barcelona predicted lineup vs Girona - La Liga

Barcelona face the challenging but relatively short trip across Catalonia to clash with third-placed Girona in La Liga on Saturday evening.

Xavi's side know defeat will see Girona leapfrog them in the table, while they will officially hand rivals Real Madrid the title should they fail to win at Estadi Montilivi and their Clasico foes beat struggling Cadiz earlier in the day. However, even a victory against Girona will only delay the coronation of Carlo Ancelotti's squad.

While Barca do have a few injuries to contend with ahead of their weekend battle, Xavi will be able to field a strong lineup as they seek a second successive victory. The current La Liga champions beat ten-man Valencia 4-2 last time out thanks to a second-half hat-trick from Robert Lewandowski.

Here's how Barca could line up against Girona.

Barcelona predicted lineup vs Girona (4-3-3)

GK: Marc-Andre ter Stegen - While usually so reliable for Barca, Ter Stegen dropped a stinker against Valencia. However, his place in the starting lineup is not in jeopardy.

RB: Jules Kounde - The Frenchman has been largely impressive at right-back this season, despite being a centre-back by trade, and saw a lot of the ball in an encouraging display against Valencia.

CB: Ronald Araujo - With speculation over his Barca future mounting, the Uruguayan's time in Catalonia could be drawing to a close. It's been a pretty dismal few weeks for the centre-back, who will be aiming to bounce back against La Liga's second highest scorers in Girona.

CB: Pau Cubarsi - The youngster was hooked at half-time against Valencia but should have enough credit in the bank to retain his spot in the starting lineup for the trip to Girona.

LB: Joao Cancelo - The Portuguese hardly inspires confidence with his defending but will offer Barca some consistent attacking threat down the left flank.

CM: Pedri - The youngster could return to the starting lineup against Girona, although Fermin Lopez will feel hard done by if he's dropped. He's played more than an hour of a match just once since late February.

CM: Andreas Christensen - Not his best outing by any stretch against Valencia, where he was justifiably withdrawn at half-time. However, Girona's attacking quality means Barca need a defensive mind in their midfield trio, with few other options available to Xavi.

CM: Ilkay Gundogan - A bright display last time out from the former Manchester City man, who has featured in all but one league game for Barca this season. It would be a shock if he didn't start this weekend.

RW: Lamine Yamal - The fleet-footed Spaniard is already a must-start for Barca at just 16 years of age. However, he is without a goal in his last eight matches at club level, something he'll want to correct against Girona.

ST: Robert Lewandowski - The Barca striker was in relentless mood against Valencia, almost single-handedly saving the Catalan side with his well-taken hat-trick. A much-needed confidence boost for Lewandowski after some recent criticism.

LW: Raphinha - The Brazilian has been a different animal since the international break, scoring four and providing two assists in his last six outings. Playing on the left or right, Raphinha is always a difficult man to stop in full fight.

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