Girona Upsets Barcelona in Thrilling Catalan Derby

In a dramatic La Liga Catalan derby at Estadio Montilivi on Monday, Girona stunned defending champions Barcelona with a 2-1 victory, intensifying the competition in the title race as Barcelona now trails Real Madrid. This defeat also signifies Barcelona's second consecutive loss, following a 4-0 setback against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final.

Barcelona began the match with vigor, as young forward Lamine Yamal challenged Girona's goalkeeper Joan Garcia within the opening minutes. Despite several opportunities, including a missed penalty by Yamal, Barcelona could not capitalize on their aggressive start. On the other hand, Girona presented their own threats, with key plays from Vladyslav Vanat and a crossbar hit by Raphinha.

The match reached a turning point when Pau Cubarsi headed a goal from Jules Kounde's precise cross, giving Barcelona a lead in the 58th minute. Girona swiftly retaliated, with Thomas Lemar converting a cross from Vanat to equalize. Fran Beltran's powerful late strike secured Girona's victory amid a controversial non-foul ruling by VAR. Barcelona's struggles were compounded by a late offside call against Robert Lewandowski and a red card for Girona's Joel Roca. The result places Barcelona in second position, two points adrift of Real Madrid's top spot, while Girona climbed to 12th place, alleviating their relegation concerns.