Losing by four goals to two on two separate occasions against Girona last season wasn’t Xavi’s finest hour.
One can’t simply continue with the notion that the team from Montilivi are still the Catalan minnows nowadays, because they were, metaphorically and actually, head and shoulders above the Blaugranes last season.
With three of their most important players in Artem Dovbyk, Aleix Garcia and Savio having moved on, however, and a Champions League tie against PSG coming directly after the Catalan derby, Girona may be hedging their bets in terms of the XI they put out against Barca.