The Gunners, sitting in third, cruised to a 3-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb last time out in Europe, while their hosts have already been eliminated following a 1-0 loss to AC Milan on matchday seven.
As Liverpool and Barcelona sail into the knockout stage, Arsenal is next in line, knowing that either a win or a draw will comfortably send them through without the need for a two-legged playoff. Even if Arsenal lose, it would take an unlikely series of results for them to miss out on a top-eight finish, meaning they’re practically guaranteed a spot in the next round. With that in mind, Mikel Arteta’s squad can likely start thinking about their usual Dubai trip, as 16 other teams battle it out in the playoffs next month.
Arsenal made history in their 3-0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb, marking their first-ever three consecutive wins in the Champions League by at least three goals. Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Martin Ødegaard were among the goalscorers.
Defensively, Arsenal continues to impress. They’ve yet to concede from open play in this season’s competition and showed resilience in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League. Even with a controversial red card for Myles Lewis-Skelly, they held firm, with Riccardo Calafiori scoring the decisive goal.
After a shaky start to 2025 with just one win from their first four matches, Arsenal have bounced back with three wins from their last four and are still in contention for both a Premier League and Champions League double, although catching Liverpool in the league will be a tough task.
On the other hand, Girona’s Champions League campaign has been a tough one. The Spanish side, who surprised many last season in La Liga, have struggled in Europe, with their only victory coming against Slovan Bratislava, one of the teams yet to score a point. They’ve suffered a string of 1-0 defeats, including losses to Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain, and most recently, a 1-0 defeat to AC Milan, courtesy of a first-half goal from Rafael Leão.
With only pride left to play for, Girona are effectively out of the running for a spot in the next round. They’ve failed to score in their last four European defeats and are on the verge of becoming the first team from one of Europe’s top five leagues (Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1) to lose five consecutive Champions League matches without finding the back of the net.
Domestically, Girona has also faced difficulties, as evidenced by their 2-1 loss to Rayo Vallecano over the weekend, leaving them in eighth place in La Liga. Their struggles highlight the challenges faced by teams new to the Champions League when balancing both domestic and continental competitions.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Since Lewis-Skelly's three-match suspension only applies to domestic competitions, the Arsenal academy graduate is eligible to play in the Champions League. He’s expected to start at left-back, with Riccardo Calafiori taking over for the weekend’s Premier League match against Manchester City.
However, Martin Ødegaard (illness) and Mikel Merino (knock) will need to be assessed after missing the win against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Meanwhile, Gabriel Jesus (ACL), Bukayo Saka (hamstring), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), and Ben White (knee) remain sidelined.
Up front, Kai Havertz has been afforded little rest due to a quiet transfer market, and he’ll be hoping to score in a fourth consecutive Champions League match this week. The last German player to achieve this feat was Borussia Dortmund legend Marco Reus in 2015.
As for Girona, coach Michel will be without Tottenham Hotspur-owned Bryan Gil, who is serving a one-game European ban after accumulating three yellow cards in the tournament.
Gil’s absence adds to the injury woes for the hosts, who also lost Daley Blind and their first-choice goalkeeper, Paulo Gazzaniga, to injuries during their 2-1 defeat to Rayo Vallecano. Blind suffered a muscle injury, while Gazzaniga is dealing with back pain.
Michel remains hopeful that Gazzaniga could recover in time for this week’s match, but Miguel Gutiérrez (ankle) and Ladislav Krejci (groin) are also major doubts for Girona.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Girona possible starting lineup:
P. Lopez; Martinez, D. Lopez, Juanpe, Frances; Romeu, Herrera; Tsygankov, Van de Beek, Danjuma; Ruiz
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice; Nwaneri, Havertz, Martinelli
EXPERT PREDICTION
Girona 0-2 Arsenal
Girona’s lack of goals in the Champions League doesn’t tell the whole story. With 8.9 Expected Goals, they’ve only scored four times, indicating that they might be in a better position if they had been more clinical in front of goal.
On the other hand, Arsenal seem to be finding their defensive solidity again, and with their current form, Mikel Arteta’s side should have little trouble breaking down Girona’s injury-stricken defense multiple times as they cruise into the last 16.
