Barcelona beat Girona 2-1 in a dramatic Catalan derby
Barcelona beat Girona 2-1 in a thrilling La Liga encounter at the Lluís Companys Stadium, thanks to a stoppage-time header from Ronald Araujo. The result temporarily puts the Blaugrana top of the league with 22 points — one ahead of Real Madrid, who face Getafe tomorrow.
The match was filled with tension and late drama, capped by the sending-off of coach Hansi Flick, who will now miss the upcoming El Clasico against Real Madrid.
Pedri opens the scoring before Girona’s quick reply
Barcelona began the match aggressively, with Marcus Rashford and Lamine Yamal constantly testing Girona’s defense. Their early dominance paid off in the 13th minute when Pedri finished a slick exchange with Yamal, slotting the ball past Gazzaniga to give Barça a 1-0 lead.
However, Girona quickly responded in the 20th minute when Axel Witsel equalized with a stunning overhead kick, silencing the Montjuïc crowd. The visitors then nearly took the lead, but Szczesny’s key saves kept the score level. Rashford and De Jong also came close for Barça, with the Englishman’s free kick striking the crossbar.
Araujo’s late header seals victory for Barcelona
The second half saw Barcelona push hard for the winner. Substitute Fermin Lopez hit the post early, while Gazzaniga denied both Yamal and Rashford. A disallowed goal for a foul on Eric Garcia added more frustration, and tempers flared as Flick protested a denied penalty claim in the 70th minute.
Just when it seemed destined for a draw, Barcelona found their hero in stoppage time. Frenkie de Jong delivered a pinpoint cross, and Ronald Araujo rose highest to head home the decisive goal in the 93rd minute, sending the home fans into jubilation.
Flick’s red card moments later added a bittersweet note to the win, as Barcelona will face Real Madrid in El Clasico without their coach on the touchline.
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