Barcelona coach has hinted that Rafinha, having recovered from injury, could feature against Girona.
The defeat to Atlético Madrid still lingers in Barcelona’s mind. Even ahead of the Girona clash, that loss keeps resurfacing. Coach Hans‑Dietrich Flick drew on the memory of the heavy defeat at Wanda Metropolitano to outline his expectations for the team.
Barcelona will face Girona in La Liga on Monday at 2:00 AM Bangladesh time. To reclaim the top spot in the league table and overtake arch‑rivals Real Madrid, a win is essential.
The match also presents an opportunity for Barcelona to regain momentum. Just three days ago, they suffered a 4‑0 demolition in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final at Atlético’s home.
Now, Flick’s focus is on shaking off the previous defeat, learning from mistakes, and igniting his team against Girona.
“Girona is organized, a brave team that plays well from deep,” Flick said. “Our game needs intensity. We lost on Thursday, and it was a lesson for us; but life goes on. We have to accept the defeat and stay confident. We have the capacity to overcome that setback.”
“You can lose, but what matters is how you respond after that loss. That’s exactly what I want to see from my team tomorrow.”
Regarding squad news, Flick has completely ruled out Marcus Rashford for the crucial fixture. However, the German coach is confident that Brazilian forward Rafinha is likely to play.
“Although Rashford is in better condition than before, he won’t be available. But Rafinha can play. He’s extremely important to us, and I’m not saying this for the first time. In the matches he hasn’t played, we have missed him because he raises the team’s quality and attacking intensity.”
In the league table, Real Madrid tops with 60 points from 24 games, while Barcelona sits second with 58 points, having played one match fewer.
