Girona reclaimed the top spot in La Liga with a memorable 4-2 victory over Barcelona at Estadi Lluis Companys. The City Group-owned team surged two points ahead of Real Madrid and a substantial seven points ahead of Barcelona, who slipped to fourth place after the defeat. Goals from Artem Dovbyk, Miguel Gutierrez, Valery Fernandez, and Cristhian Stuani secured the triumph.
The dynamic match kicked off with both teams displaying an ability to threaten, but it was surprisingly Girona that struck first. Viktor Tsygankov and Artem Dovbyk, the star Ukrainian duo, combined for the opening goal, with Tsygankov breaking through Barca’s defense and delivering a pass to Dovbyk, who calmly slotted the ball off the post into the net.
Barcelona nearly equalized shortly after when Raphinha connected with a curling cross from Joao Cancelo, but goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga thwarted the attempt. However, Robert Lewandowski leveled the score at 1-1 moments later, rising above the defense to head in a corner from Raphinha.
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Undeterred by losing their lead, Girona continued to trouble Barcelona’s defense. Miguel Gutierrez had two near misses, the first a curling effort wide of the post and the second a shot from the penalty spot narrowly missing the target. In the 40th minute, Gutierrez found the net, slipping past Jules Kounde and firing into the top left corner, making it 2-1.
Barcelona asserted territorial dominance in the second half but struggled to break down Girona’s defense until Xavi Hernandez introduced Ferran Torres, Lamine Yamal, and Alejandro Balde. Despite a chance for Barcelona to level at 2-2, Girona extended their lead to 3-1 as Cristhian Stuani set up Valery Fernandez with a precise header.
Barcelona managed to make the final minutes tense with a goal from Ilkay Gundogan, but Girona responded swiftly, making it 4-2. Savio lofted a ball into the box, and Stauni, capitalizing on Barca’s defensive lapse, slotted home from point-blank range.