Real Madrid vs. Girona: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

The 15-time European champions saw their La Liga hopes all but fade away last weekend.

Real Madrid are in desperate need of a bounce back against Girona. | Visionhaus/Kristian Skeie/UEFA/Getty Images

Real Madrid host Girona in La Liga action on Friday night in front of what is sure to be a hostile Bernabéu crowd.

Just when it looked like Los Blancos were hitting their stride, they suffered a shock defeat to Mallorca last weekend and then fell 2–1 to Bayern Munich in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. Finishing with a trophy this season suddenly looks out of reach.

After all, Barcelona now sit atop the La Liga standings with a seven-point cushion to their bitter rivals, a gap that is likely far too great for Álvaro Arbeloa’s men to make up. Still, they will not go down without a fight, even if winning their remaining league fixtures is ultimately for nothing but pride.

On paper, Girona pose a great opportunity for Real Madrid to get back to winning ways this weekend. The Catalans, who sit 12th in the table, are inconsistent at best and dealing with a plethora of injuries. Míchel’s men, though, will hope to follow the blueprint Mallorca laid out on Saturday to overcome the hardly infallible 15-time European champions.

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Real Madrid vs. Girona Score Prediction

Real Madrid should return to winning ways this weekend. | Maria Jimenez/Real Madrid/Getty Images

Despite how poor Real Madrid played against Mallorca, it’s hard to imagine the Spanish giants falling to an inferior opponent for a second weekend in a row, especially with how strong they ended against Bayern midweek.

The pressure from the home crowd alone should spurn Los Blancos into action, but it will by no means be an easy path to three points. Girona are coming off an impressive victory over Villarreal and have already bested Barcelona and Athletic Club in 2026 as well.

Still, in the end, the stars lining Arbeloa’s squad will get the job done at the Bernabéu—even if the win is not as impressive as fans would like or expect.

• Head-to-Head record: Since 2017, Real Madrid and Girona have met 13 times across all competitions. Los Blancos have emerged with eight wins while the Catalans have only tallied three. The matchup has twice ended in a draw.
• Girona’s stingy backline: Míchel’s men have only conceded more than one goal in two of their last 13 matches. Girona’s defense is disciplined and well-trained at going against superior forwards.
• Bernabéu magic: In their 15 home league matches this season, Real Madrid have walked away with 13 wins and only two defeats. For all their shortcomings in 2025–26, collecting three points at home has not been one of them.

Prediction: Real Madrid 2–1 Girona

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Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Girona

Jude Bellingham could make his first start since early February. | FotMob

What was once an injury-riddled Real Madrid squad is now almost back to full strength. Only Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo remain out, while Franco Mastantuono is suspended for the clash.

Jude Bellingham and Éder Militão are back from their long stays in the infirmary and expected to get the nod on Friday for the first time since suffering their respective injuries. The opportunity will be a test run for when they undoubtedly start against Bayern on Wednesday.

Fran García is also the frontrunner to start on the left flank after Álvaro Carreras’s last two dismal outings. Another change comes in the form of Eduardo Camavinga, who Arbeloa confirmed will start against Girona.

With a suspension looming for the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, Aurélien Tchouaméni retains his place in the midfield for Girona’s arrival, a game he would normally watch from the bench to be fully fit for the team’s trip to Germany.

Real Madrid predicted lineup vs. Girona (4-3-1-2): Lunin; Alexander-Arnold, Militão, Huijsen, F. García; Valverde, Tchouaméni, Camavinga; Bellingham; Mbappé, Vinicius Jr.

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Girona Predicted Lineup vs. Real Madrid

Abel Ruiz must compensate for the missing Vladyslav Vanat. | FotMob

Unlike Real Madrid, Girona are dealing with a handful of missing faces. Portu and Juan Carlos both suffered ACL injuries at the start of the season and have yet to return. Donny van de Beek has also been out since September with a long-term Achilles injury.

Plus, Marc-André ter Stegen is still nursing a hamstring injury, leaving Paulo Gazzaniga to retain his place between the posts. Daley Blind faces a late fitness test after coming off the pitch in the team’s 1–0 win over Villarreal with apparent discomfort.

The biggest absentee, though, is Vladyslav Vanat. The striker, who leads the team in scoring, is out for the season after suffering a hamstring injury in Monday’s clash. Abel Ruiz gets the big opportunity to lead the line in his place come Friday.

Girona predicted lineup vs. Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Gazzaniga; Martínez, Reis, Blind, Moreno; Beltrán, Witsel; Tsygankov, Martín, Ounahi; Ruiz.

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What Time Does Real Madrid vs. Girona Kick Off?

• Location: Madrid, Spain
• Stadium: Santiago Bernabéu
• Date: Friday, April 10
• Kick-off Time: 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. BST

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How to Watch Real Madrid vs. Girona on TV, Live Stream

Country	TV Channel/Live Strean
United States	ESPN Unlimited, ESPN Select, fuboTV
United Kingdom	LALIGATV
Canada	TSN+
Mexico	Sky Sports Mexico, Sky+, izzi

• MORE: Full list of La Liga broadcasters around the world

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