Madrid, February 17 — FC Barcelona surrendered top spot in La Liga after a 2-1 home defeat to Girona, a result that underlined persistent defensive frailties in Hansi Flick’s side and handed Real Madrid the summit following their win over Real Sociedad. Girona overturned a Pau Cubarsi header to claim victory through Thomas Lemar and a late Fran Beltrán strike.
The match was open and end-to-end from the start, offering few signs that Barcelona had recovered from Thursday’s 4-0 Copa del Rey loss to Atlético Madrid. Early chances came from Raphinha, who dragged a shot wide, and Lamine Yamal, who raced through but fired straight at goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga. Barcelona’s best first-half opening came late when Raphinha struck the post in the 43rd minute.
Girona threatened consistently down Barcelona’s right flank, with Hugo Rincón’s deliveries causing problems. Viktor Tsygankov teed up Vladislav Vanat for a chance that went begging, and Vanat later forced a sharp save from Joan García. First-half stoppage time produced the match’s most dramatic moment when Daley Blind’s foul on Dani Olmo conceded a penalty. Yamal sent Gazzaniga the wrong way but hit the post, letting Girona escape intact.
The deadlock finally broke in the 58th minute when Cubarsi met Jules Koundé’s cross to head Barcelona ahead. The lead lasted only three minutes: Joel Roca’s low cross found space for Lemar to finish after Barcelona failed to clear. Girona almost took the lead soon after, only for García to deny Roca and then block Vanat’s follow-up.
As the contest swung between the boxes, both teams created chances, but persistence paid off for Girona in the 86th minute when Beltrán drove a low shot in from the edge of the area. Barcelona’s appeals for a foul on Koundé in the build-up were dismissed. Joel Roca received a late red card deep into stoppage time for a challenge on Yamal, but the dismissal did little to dampen Girona’s celebrations.
The win lifts Girona further clear of relegation worries and raises fresh questions about Barcelona’s defensive stability as Flick searches for solutions ahead of a crucial run of fixtures.
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/barcelona-drop-crucial-points-after-losing-to-girona-in-derby
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Publish Date: 2026-02-17 10:36:00
