Arsenal will look to secure their spot in the top eight as they travel to Girona on Wednesday for their final league phase match of the Champions League.
The Gunners are third in the league table with 16 points having won five of their seven matches so far. They need need only a point against Girona to progress directly to the Round of 16.
Girona, on the other hand, are one of the nine teams who cannot qualify for the next round. The La Liga side have lost six and won just one match this season.
The Sporting News looks at the key details ahead of this game, including how to watch the match, kickoff times and the latest lineup news.
Girona vs. Arsenal live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this Champions League match in the U.S.:
This game is not available for live TV broadcast in the US. Streaming options are available on Paramount+, which offers a FREE trial to new subscribers.
What time does Girona vs. Arsenal kick off?
This Champions League clash takes place at the Estadi Montilivi in Girona, Spain and kicks off on Wednesday, January 29 at 9:00 p.m. local time.
Here’s how that time translates across the U.S.:
| Date | Kickoff time | |
| Eastern Time | Wed, Jan. 29 | 3:00 p.m. |
| Central Time | Wed, Jan. 29 | 2:00 p.m. |
| Mountain Time | Wed, Jan. 29 | 1:00 p.m. |
| Pacific Time | Wed, Jan. 29 | 12:00 p.m. |
Girona vs. Arsenal lineups, team news
Girona were forced to replace goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga at halftime of their weekend league game against Rayo Vallecano. If he can’t recover in time, Pau Lopez would take his place in net.
They also lost Daley Blind in that match as well, as he was forced off on the half-hour mark and replaced by Alejandro Francis.
Arsenal fans should be aware of the threat Cristhian Stuani presents as a bench option, having scored four goals as a substitute this season after bagging six the previous campaign.
Girona predicted XI (4-5-1, right to left): P. Lopez (GK) — A. Martinez, D. Lopez, Juanpe, Francis — Asprilla, I. Martin, Y. Herrera, van de Beek, Gil — Danjuma.
Injured: Gazzaniga (doubt), Blind
Suspended: None
Star winger Bukayo Saka and forward Gabriel Jesus are two of Arsenal’s biggest absentees along with defenders Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Captain Martin Odegaard and midfielder Mikel Merino are in a race to be fit for the Girona tie. They both missed Arsenal’s 1-0 win at Wolves. With qualification to the next round all but secured, Mikel Arteta might rest some key players as they head into the business end of the season.
Arsenal predicted XI (4-3-3, right to left): Raya (GK) — Timber, Calafiori, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly — Nwaneri, Jorginho, Odegaard — Martinelli, Havertz, Trossard.
Injured: Saka, Jesus, White, Tomiyasu
Suspended: None
Girona vs. Arsenal prediction
Arsenal need only a point to secure their place in the Round of 16. With a Premier League clash against Manchester City and the League Cup semifinal second leg against Newcastle to come up in the next seven days, expect Mikel Arteta to rotate his side as much as he can.
Girona have the opportunity to secure a memorable result against a depleted Arsenal. But given the Gunners’ solidity at the back, it might still prove to be difficult for Girona to beat Arsenal.
Prediction: Girona 0-1 Arsenal
Champions League fixture schedule this week
Wednesday, January 29
- PSV vs. Liverpool (3 p.m. ET)
- Bayern Munich vs. Slovan Bratislava (3 p.m. ET)
- Borussia Dortmund vs. Shakhtar Donetsk (3 p.m. ET)
- Bayer Leverkusen vs. Sparta Praha (3 p.m. ET)
- Girona vs. Arsenal (3 p.m. ET)
- Barcelona vs. Atalanta (3 p.m. ET)
- Brest vs. Real Madrid (3 p.m. ET)
- Manchester City vs. Club Brugge (3 p.m. ET)
- Young Boys vs. Crvena zvezda (3 p.m. ET)
- LOSC Lille vs. Feyenoord (3 p.m. ET)
- Juventus vs. Benfica (3 p.m. ET)
- Aston Villa vs. Celtic (3 p.m. ET)
- Dinamo Zagreb vs. AC Milan (3 p.m. ET)
- Inter vs. Monaco (3 p.m. ET)
- SK Strum Graz vs. RB Leipzig (3 p.m. ET)
- RB Salzburg vs. Atletico Madrid (3 p.m. ET)
- Sporting vs. Bologna (3 p.m. ET)
- VfB Stuttgart vs. PSG (3 p.m. ET)
