Barcelona’s quest to recapture the top spot in La Liga was severely hampered by a dramatic late loss to Girona in a tense Catalan derby.
The guests missed a golden chance to grab control of the title race, with young winger Lamine Yamal having a frustrating evening in front of goal.
Following two missed simple opportunities, he smacked his first-half penalty against the post—a moment that would follow his squad for years.
Barcelona momentarily seemed in charge in the second half when Pau Cubarsi scored his first league goal for the team. Girona, however, answered almost right away to tie the score and gain confidence as the game escalated.
Fran Beltran found the net in the 86th minute, a score that survived a VAR check despite Barcelona players’ protests.
At a crucial point in the season, The News Chronicle reported that Hansi Flick’s team is lagging behind Real Madrid in the standings, putting pressure on ahead of their upcoming games.
Though suffering in recent weeks, Girona exhibited urgency and resilience throughout the encounter. Ten men late on, they still worked to obtain a crucial victory that elevates them beyond immediate relegation worries.
Missed chances and defensive mistakes cost Barcelona far too much on a night that could have decided the championship race.
