Source: Alamy Stock Photo

Girona stun Barcelona and hand Real Madrid the La Liga lead

Girona overturned a deficit against visiting Barcelona to secure a valuable 2-1 victory in a thrilling encounter that reshaped the La Liga title race and handed the top spot to Real Madrid. The defeat for the reigning champions was not merely a minor setback, but a painful blow that left them stuck on 58 points, two behind their Madrid rivals. It also confirmed an unusual negative run, as the Catalan side suffered back-to-back defeats in all competitions for the first time in months.

Barcelona imposed their tempo from the outset, with head coach Hansi Flick welcoming back Frenkie de Jong and Raphinha from injury in an attempt to restore balance after the heavy Copa del Rey loss to Atlético Madrid. The visitors dominated possession early on and applied sustained pressure in Girona’s half, yet lacked the cutting edge in decisive moments.

Chances were waisted. Raphinha struck the post with a powerful effort, while Lamine Yamal saw his penalty rebound off the left upright in first-half stoppage time after Dani Olmo had been brought down inside the area. Those moments reflected Barcelona’s recurring issue throughout the match: inefficiency in front of goal.

Despite that, the Catalan side finally broke the deadlock in the 59th minute when Pau Cubarsí rose to meet a cross from Jules Koundé and headed the ball into the net. The goal seemed set to pave the way for a long-awaited victory, but the lead lasted only three minutes. Girona responded swiftly through Thomas Lemar, who converted from close range to bring the contest back to square one.

The equalizer injected the hosts with renewed confidence, gradually shifting the momentum in their favor. Barcelona retreated slightly, gaps began to appear in their defensive lines, and Girona grew increasingly bold. Goalkeeper Joan García kept his side in the contest on several occasions, but sustained pressure eventually paid off.

In the 87th minute came the decisive moment. Claudio Echeverri carried the ball along the edge of the box before feeding Joel Roca, who laid it off to substitute Ferran Beltrán. The midfielder made no mistake, drilling a low shot into the left corner to spark wild celebrations in the stands and complete a remarkable turnaround.

Barcelona pushed forward desperately in the closing stages, throwing numbers into attack in search of an equalizer, even after Roca was sent off in stoppage time for a heavy challenge on Yamal. However, time ran out, sealing a defeat that could prove costly in the title race.

After the match, Cubarsí admitted there were clear shortcomings in the team’s performance, stressing the need for honesty and a thorough review of mistakes, particularly the tendency to concede shortly after taking the lead.

For Girona, the win meant more than three points; it marked a turning point after a string of poor results that had dragged them toward the relegation zone. The team climbed to 12th place with 29 points, regaining confidence at a crucial stage of the season. As for Barcelona, they left the round aware that any further slip-ups could come at a heavy price in their pursuit of the title.

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