FC Barcelona: Peña, Cancelo, Koundé, Araujo, Christensen (Balde 65′), De Jong, Pedri (Fermín 79′), Gündogan, Felix (Yamal 65′), Raphinha (Torres 65′) and Lewandowski
Bench: Balde, Sergi Roberto, Torres, Romeu, Astralaga, Yamal, Fermín, Kochen and Cubarsí
Goals: 0-1 Dovbyk (12′), 1-1 Lewandowski (19′), 1-2 Miguel (40′), 1-3 Valery (80′), 2-3 Gündogan (90′), 2-4 Stuani (90′)
There was a top Catalan clash when Barca took on season surprise Girona in the league’s 16th round of games. A win would see Barca close in on Real Madrid after the arch-rivals dropped points against Betis, while a defeat would see Girona move a whopping seven points ahead, so there was a lot at stake for both teams.
It was set out at a good pace from both sides and it was Girona who came to the first end of the match in the 6th minute, but nothing that caused problems for Peña in the goal. In the following minutes, Barca created a few dangerous situations in the visitors’ field, but without finishing. Girona played without complexes and after 12 minutes they caught Barca on a conversion where Tsygankov was sent deep. He found Dovbyk in front of the goal, who via the inside of the post made it 0-1.
Barca’s reaction was prompt and they put Girona under pressure. It paid off in the 19th minute, when Lewandowski got his head on the ball after a corner kick and then it was tied at 1-1. Two minutes later it was close to another Barca score, but the shot from Raphinha went wide. The game was completely open, as both teams pushed forward on the pitch, where the game waved back and forth. Girona showed why they belong at the top of the league and in the 27th minute it was only an important save by Peña that prevented a goal. A few minutes later it was Barca who came close when Cancelo made a smart move in the box and finished, but the keeper made the save.
The match continued in the same way and both teams went for one more score before the break. In the 38th minute, Raphinha tried from distance, but without it causing problems for the visitors’ keeper. A minute later, Girona were close when Miguel sent a shot narrowly wide of the goal. Soon after, the same Miguel received the ball outside Barca’s field and he was able to pull towards the goal unhindered, after which he sent the ball hard into the net to make it 1-2. Here, Barca’s defense hesitated far too much. Barca put in a final push and it came close to paying off in stoppage time, but Lewandowski’s shot was saved. Nothing more happened in the entertaining and even first half.
Barca got into the game from the start of the second half and in the 50th minute De Jong sent a good shot that the goalkeeper saved with difficulty. Soon after, Raphinha finished with a header, but here the ball was in the arms of Girona’s goalkeeper. Barca maintained the pressure on the visitors and shortly before the hour mark, it was first Gündogan and then Raphinha who tried from distance, but without problems for the goalkeeper. Soon after, Raphinha was sent alone towards goal, but the Brazilian lacked speed and the ball was easily taken away from him. He should have gotten more out of that situation.
Girona were by now rare visitors in Barca’s field, but in the 61st minute they could have increased their lead, but Peña produced a vital save from Aleix García’s finish. Soon after, Xavi responded with a triple substitution as Balde, Torres and Yamal replaced Christensen, Felix and Raphinha. Very surprisingly, Balde took his place in central defense alongside Araujo. Barca continued the hunt for an equalizer and it could have come in the 68th minute, when a shot from Gündogan crept wide of the goal.
Girona managed to stop Barca’s pressure and the visitors got more of the ball. In the 79th minute, Fermín was sent on instead of Pedri. In the 81st minute, Barca’s defense failed completely on a kick from Girona’s goalkeeper, so Valery was suddenly completely free and surely made it 1-3. Here, neither Araujo nor Koundé looked too good. 1-3 and Barca were on the ropes. Two minutes later, the visitors could have scored again when Savio had a free run towards goal, but Peña made a great save. It was very quiet at the Estadi Olímpic, because the approximately 44,000 spectators were frustrated.
Barca tried one last frantic push, but it also gave more space to Girona. They came close to taking advantage of that in the 90th minute when Stuani lifted the ball just over the goal. Right after, the spectators were given new hope when Gündogan reduced the score to 2-3 on a good delivery by Torres. Just a minute later, Lewandowski should have equalized when he got a wide open header opportunity close to the goal, but the Pole was unclear in the situation. Instead, Girona managed to close the match with another score to make it 2-4 and the humiliation was total for Barca.
