Ruthless Girona stun Barcelona to retake La Liga summit

Girona pulled off a major upset on Sunday, by defeating Catalan rivals Barcelona 4-2 at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. The surprise result saw Girona move to the top of La Liga, two points clear of Real Madrid. Barcelona dropped to fourth place following the weekend matches.

Girona took an early 1-0 lead in the match through Artem Dovbyk’s 12th-minute strike. Although Robert Lewandowski equalised for Barcelona seven minutes later, Girona retook the lead in the 40th minute courtesy of a fierce shot from defender Miguel Gutierrez.

Girona continued to threaten Barcelona throughout the match despite the hosts dominating possession. The visitors sealed the famous win with two late goals from substitutes – Valery in the 80th minute and Cristhian Stuani deep into added time. Ilkay Gundogan pulled one back for Barcelona but it only served as a consolation.

The result capped an extremely impressive season so far for Girona, who now have 13 league wins. Meanwhile, Barcelona dropped crucial points in the title race, falling seven points behind the leaders. Girona executed their counter-attacking game plan perfectly, taking full advantage of Barcelona’s vulnerabilities.

Michel and his players will celebrate one of the finest wins in the club’s history. However, Barca boss Xavi and his charges must quickly regroup as their La Liga campaign threatens to unravel following this shocking setback.