FC Barcelona 2-4 Girona: Lost opportunity

Today was Barça’s chance to close the gap on the front two in La Liga. Real Madrid had dropped two points the day before, and now they were at home to the side in second place.

But it was their fellow Catalan guests Girona who emerged victorious at the Estadi Olimpic, and it is hard to argue that they weren’t rightful winners on the day. Both sides put on a wonderful advertisement for Catalan football tonight, but although Barça generally had the control of the game, the visitors knew exactly how to exploit their weak points and were able to take their chances when they came.

On the back of their first ever win against Barça, Girona now go two points clear at the top of the table.

Barça, meanwhile, after all the optimism after beating Atlético Madrid a week before, have dropped back down to fourth and are now seven points adrift of the summit. There’s a lot of football still to be played this season, but after tonight, the challenge has become a lot, lot harder.

Goals each way

There was a lot of hype in the build-up to this game, and for once it certainly didn’t disappoint. Barça can always be counted on to go for goal, but anyone who expected Girona to ditch their normal game-plan and take more of a caution-first approach would quickly be proved wrong.

It was end-to-end action from the start, and after both sides had early chances, the visitors were ahead after just 12 minutes. The Ukrainian duo of Viktor Tsygankov and Artem Dovbyk were on the end of a quick break and the latter banged his finish past Iñaki Peña and in off the post.

Motivated more than ever following that early setback, Barça powered forward in search of a quick response. Visiting keeper Gazzaniga was given plenty to think about before he was finally beaten by Robert Lewandowski. Raphinha served up the corner, and the Pole rose confidently to meet the ball with his head and get the sides back on level terms.

Girona back ahead

From there, Barça weren’t exactly dominating, but did seem to be getting the chances that really mattered, making it all the more frustrating when Girona managed to re-establish their lead.

Having just squandered one good chance, Miguel Gutiérrez made amends by skipping his way through the blaugrana defence and then whipping in a stupendous finish.

A goal down at the end of the first half, Barça took most of the initiative in the second, but Girona expended every bit of energy they could muster in keeping the number of real Barça chances to the very minimum.

They certainly weren’t sitting back and defending their lead, and every time the ball found its way to their quick-moving frontline there was the worry that Barça could end up in even deeper trouble. And in the 80th minute it happened. 

Late flicker of hope

A huge goal kick, Cristhian Stuani beat his compatriot Ronald Araujo to the header, and moments after coming on, Valery Fernández tucked home his first ever league goal.

Three minutes into injury time, and Barça looked beaten. Girona were riding the wave and both Sávio and Jhon Solis could very easily have made it four before Ilkay Gundogan swung the whole mood in the stadium.

Ferran Torres found him, and Gundo found the goal. And there was still time for another. Buoyed by a crowd that was back on its feet and believing, Barça surged forward. One sensed something else might be coming.

All over

And Lewandowski managed to score with that header... But to every Culer's exasperation, what could have happened, didn't happen.

Instead, Girona, who by now were just trying to weather their way through the final minutes however they could, made the most of a free kick in the middle of the park to catch Barça somewhat unawares at the back. The move ended with Stuani popping the ball home at the far post, and this time the game really was well and truly over.

All Barça can do now it pick up the pieces, and start preparing for a relatively meaningless trip to Antwerp midweek and then a massive one away to Valencia on Saturday.