Barcelona’s attempt to bounce back from their Copa del Rey setback ended in further frustration as Girona claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory at the Estadi Montilivi. A night of missed chances, late controversy, and VAR debate ultimately saw Hansi Flick’s side surrender both the derby and their place at the top of the table.
Barcelona was looking to respond after their disappointing 4-0 defeat to Atlético Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey at the Wanda Metropolitano. They faced another away challenge, this time against Girona in a Catalan derby at the Estadi Montilivi. The hosts were also under pressure, having failed to register a win in their previous three matches. With both Catalan sides seeking redemption, the stakes were high in what felt like a must win encounter.
Míchel set up his Girona side in a 4-2-3-1 formation, aiming for defensive stability with attacking support through the midfield three. Meanwhile, Hansi Flick opted for a 4-3-3 system, making just two changes from the previous defeat. Raphinha returned to the starting lineup in place of Marc Casadó, reclaiming his usual role on the left wing. Meanwhile, Alejandro Balde was dropped to the bench, with Gerard Martín coming into the side at left back. Dani Olmo and Fermín López operated as central midfielders, while Frenkie de Jong captained the side and played as the lone defensive midfielder. However, De Jong’s role as the single pivot created a sense of imbalance in midfield. With both Marc Casadó and Marc Bernal absent from the starting XI, the team was left without a natural defensive midfielder, forcing Frenkie de Jong to operate as the lone pivot and contributing to a visible imbalance in midfield.
Barcelona failed to capitalise on the first major chance of the night when Pau Cubarsí clipped a precise long ball into the left channel, releasing Gerard Martín with Raphinha in support. The Brazilian winger cut the ball back to the edge of the area, dribbling past Axel Witsel before finding Lamine Yamal, who whipped a left footed effort just inches wide of the post.
Girona responded almost immediately. Cubarsí misjudged a long ball from Daley Blind, allowing Vladyslav Vanat to latch onto the loose ball. The Ukrainian forward drove a low cross into the middle, but Joan García was alert and gathered comfortably.
Barcelona created another promising opportunity when Fermín López slipped past Blind and Witsel before linking up with Ferran Torres. Ferran attempted a long-range strike, but Blind recovered well to intervene, deflecting the ball through to Paulo Gazzaniga, who cleared the danger.
At the other end, Bryan Gil produced a clever through ball to Vanat. The striker cut inside Eric García and squared it towards his Ukrainian compatriot Viktor Tsigankov, but Gerard Martín timed his sliding challenge perfectly to intercept before Eric cleared.
Barcelona’s defensive fragility was exposed again when Bryan Gil surged past Jules Koundé and drilled a low cross towards the penalty spot. Raphinha tracked back diligently, sliding in to block and divert the ball safely into Joan García’s gloves.
By the 16th minute, Barcelona had amassed a commanding 72% possession. However, despite their dominance on the ball, it was the hosts who appeared more incisive and more likely to find the breakthrough.
The visitors come close to breaking the deadlock after a sweeping move down the right flank. Jules Koundé clips an inviting ball forward which is quickly worked inside by Fermín López. His cross travels toward the far side where Raphinha gathers possession, cuts inside past his marker and unleashes a right footed effort that drifts narrowly wide of Gazzaniga’s near post.
Barcelona continue to build on their attacking momentum moments later. Dani Olmo delicately lifts a pass over the top, releasing the 18 year old starlet into acres of space. Clean through on goal and one on one with the Argentinian goalkeeper, he attempts a left footed finish, but the effort lacks conviction and Gazzaniga reacts sharply to preserve the 0-0 scoreline.
At the 23rd minute, Girona mount a promising attack. Arnau Martínez links with Witsel, who shifts the ball into the path of an unmarked Tsygankov. The Ukrainian combines neatly with his Ukrainian team mate Vanat before striking at goal, yet Joan García makes a comfortable save to keep matters level.
Barcelona responds almost immediately. Eric García threads a precise through ball that allows Raphinha and Ferran to combine on the edge of the area. The Spanish forward fires a right footed shot across goal, but it flashes just wide of the far post.
In the 28th minute, Girona threaten again. Thomas Lemar attempts a long diagonal pass, but Gerard Martín intervenes decisively and quickly links up with the Brazilian winger. Finding space to strike, he powers an effort goalward, only to see it sail over the crossbar beyond Gazzaniga’s dive.
A minute later, the hosts carve open Barcelona’s defence once more. Hugo Rincón’s pass finds Bryan Gil in space, and he picks out Vanat’s run into the box. The Ukrainian connects first time, but Joan García stretches to make an important save.
Both sides have fashioned several promising opportunities, yet a lack of composure in the final third has ensured the score remains goalless.
In the 33rd minute, Lamine Yamal delivers a teasing cross into the area with Koundé challenging Gazzaniga for the aerial ball. It eventually drops to Fermín López on the edge of the box, and the midfielder controls it neatly before unleashing a fierce left footed strike that whistles inches over the crossbar.
Barcelona continues to press a minute later. Raphinha drops deep and releases Fermín into space, but the La Masia graduate drags his effort wide of the target. There is a growing sense that the recent Atlético encounter has dented the visitors’ confidence, with the Blaugrana struggling to convert their dominance into goals.
Girona respond swiftly. Thomas Lemar sends Bryan Gil on a surging run down the left flank, and the winger flashes a dangerous ball across the face of goal. Joan García and Vanat both stretch to make contact, yet neither can apply the decisive touch and Barcelona manage to clear their lines.
Eric García becomes the first name in the referee’s book after Vitor Reis intercepts a pass from Ferran and embarks on a dazzling solo run, gliding past Olmo and Cubarsí. The Manchester City loanee reaches the edge of the area before being brought down by Eric, conceding a free kick in a dangerous position. Tsygankov steps up and strikes left footed, beating the wall, but his effort sails over Joan García’s crossbar.
Barcelona then strikes the woodwork for the first time in the match and remarkably for the 24th time in La Liga this season. Lamine Yamal’s wide pass finds Raphinha, who drills a low shot toward the far bottom right corner. The effort clips the base of the post, leaving the visitors agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock. It is their clearest opportunity of the first half, yet the score remains 0-0.
The fourth official signals just one minute of added time at Montilivi. Girona fail to clear a Barcelona corner, and Olmo’s header is met by Eric García, whose looping effort is comfortably gathered by Gazzaniga after a collision with Hugo Rincón in the air.
With virtually the final action of the half, Barcelona is awarded a penalty and a golden chance to take the lead before the interval after Daley Blind clips Dani Olmo inside the box. Raphinha hands responsibility to Lamine Yamal, but the young Spaniard endures a moment to forget. His left footed penalty strikes the base of the right post and rebounds away, compounding the frustration for Flick’s men. Moments later, referee César Soto Grado brings the first half to a close, the whistle echoing around Montilivi with the score somehow still locked at 0-0.
Barcelona resumes the second half with renewed intensity and immediately pushes forward. Girona captain Arnau Martínez misjudges a long ball, allowing Lamine Yamal to burst clear. The winger cuts inside onto his left foot and fires at goal, but Daley Blind produces a timely block to deny him.
Moments later, Lamine is at the heart of the action again as Girona’s defence briefly switches off. He slips a pass into Fermín López, whose first time effort from a tight angle is once more thwarted by Blind, the Dutchman standing firm under sustained pressure.
Girona seize the opportunity to counter from a Barcelona corner. Vanat is released into space and twice manages to get the better of Jules Koundé in the same move. Just as he prepares to pull the trigger, Pau Cubarsí slides in superbly to divert the ball back towards Joan García, preventing a certain shot on goal.
Barcelona responds with another sweeping move. Raphinha glides in from the left after evading two defenders and combines with Dani Olmo, but the Spaniard’s strike drifts wide. At the other end, Tsygankov switches play cleverly to the left flank, sending Bryan Gil racing behind the defence. Gerard Martín cannot prevent the cross, yet Gil’s stretched, off balance effort is directed straight at Joan García.
The match remains wide open. Barcelona continues to probe, and Lamine delivers an inviting cross to the far post that Raphinha looks set to meet, only for Hugo Rincón to make a brave interception.
The breakthrough finally arrives in the 59th minute, and it comes from an unlikely source. Pau Cubarsí scores his first La Liga goal for Barcelona. Koundé whips in a pinpoint cross from the right, and Cubarsí rises to glance a header beyond Gazzaniga into the top right corner. It is a deserved reward for Barcelona’s persistence and gives them a vital 1-0 lead.
However, Girona respond almost immediately to level the score at 1-1. Thomas Lemar nets only his second goal in three years, though he has now scored in consecutive matches following his strike against Sevilla. Vladyslav Vanat drives down the left flank and sees his initial cross rebound back to him off Cubarsí. His second delivery finds Lemar unmarked, and the former Atlético de Madrid midfielder finishes calmly past Joan García.
Hansi Flick turns to his bench, replacing Raphinha and Gerard Martín with Ronny Bardghji and Alejandro Balde. Bardghji operates on the left flank despite favouring his stronger left foot, a role Flick might ideally have assigned to Marcus Rashford. The substitute quickly gets involved, finding Fermín on the edge of the box, but Axel Witsel steps in with yet another crucial block.
Barcelona refuse to ease off. Koundé surges down the right and sends a dangerous cross into the area, forcing Gazzaniga to parry the ball awkwardly into a team mate before Vitor Reis completes the clearance. Soon after, Lamine’s outside of the foot delivery causes chaos in the Girona box, with Reis and Witsel tangling and inadvertently deflecting the ball goalward, prompting another sharp save from Gazzaniga. To seek a bit of control, Míchel introduces fresh legs with Fran Beltrán replacing the goal scorer Lemar, while Joel Roca comes on for Bryan Gil. The substitutes nearly combine to devastating effect as soon after coming on as Beltrán swings in a cross from the edge of the area and Roca meets it with a powerful header, only for Joan García to produce an excellent save.
Girona continue to keep knocking and in the 70th minute, Tsygankov cuts inside from the right after linking with Rincón and Vanat, but his tame effort is comfortably gathered by Joan García. Shortly after, Iván Martín finds himself inside the Barcelona box behind Cubarsí. His powerful strike is parried by Joan García, and although the rebound falls to Vanat, the assistant referee raises the offside flag. The striker’s follow up is again denied by Joan García, who is proving to be Barcelona’s standout performer.
Flick makes further changes as Robert Lewandowski replaces a subdued Ferran Torres, who has managed just one goal and zero assists in seven La Liga appearances. Eric García makes way for Ronald Araújo, with the captain’s armband passed from Frenkie de Jong to the Uruguayan. Eric leaves the pitch visibly emotional after his substitution. Míchel also reshuffles his side, withdrawing the lively Vladyslav Vanat for Claudio Echeverri, another Manchester City loanee, as the Argentinian eagerly enters the fray with the game finely poised.
Girona tightened their grip on the contest as the second half wore on, dictating tempo and carving out the clearer openings in what evolved into a fiercely contested Catalan derby at Montilivi. Joan García was once again called into action, stepping off his line decisively to rescue Barcelona at crucial moments. On the left flank, Alejandro Balde found himself crowded out as Claudio Echeverri slipped a clever pass into the path of substitute Joel Roca, who burst through on goal and struck across the face of the net, only for the Argentine’s effort to be remarkably parried away by García’s outstretched right foot.
Barcelona responded almost immediately. Balde threaded a pass in behind for Ronny Bardghji, and the 20-year-old Swede connected first time with venom, but Paulo Gazzaniga reacted sharply to keep the scoreline level. Girona continued to probe, with Roca getting around Jules Koundé in the 78th minute and whipping in a teasing cross, yet García read the danger early and claimed the ball cleanly ahead of Echeverri.
Hansi Flick then made his final adjustment, withdrawing Dani Olmo for Marc Bernal, allowing the youngster to partner Frenkie de Jong in a double pivot, while Fermín López drifted to the left wing and Bardghji assumed a more central attacking role. The reshuffle nearly paid dividends two minutes later when Girona failed to clear a blocked effort from Bardghji, the loose ball falling invitingly to Lamine Yamal. The winger cut inside with elegance, gliding past two defenders before curling an effort inch wide of the far post, a moment that drew collective gasps from the travelling supporters.
Tensions escalated in the closing stages. Koundé was booked in the 84th minute for pulling back Arnau Martínez, and just two minutes later Girona delivered the decisive blow. Launching a vicious counterattack from a Barcelona throw in, Echeverri surged into the box and visibly stepped on Koundé’s shin before combining with Roca, who laid the ball off to Fran Beltrán on the edge of the area. The substitute struck a precise right footed finish into the bottom corner beyond an outstretched García, sending Montilivi into raptures. It was Beltrán’s first La Liga goal of the season and his first since 8th of February 2025, making the moment even more significant.
A VAR check followed for a potential foul in the buildup, but despite Koundé remaining on the ground in visible discomfort, the goal was allowed to stand. Seven minutes of added time were signalled, setting up a dramatic finale. Barcelona pushed forward relentlessly. Araujo headed wide from a Yamal corner, Robert Lewandowski had the ball in the net only for the assistant to raise his flag for offside, and further late opportunities fell agonisingly short as Girona defended with desperation and resolve.
The drama peaked in stoppage time when Yamal was heavily challenged by Roca and collided with Axel Witsel. Roca was shown a straight red card, Witsel escaped with a booking, and Bernal also entered the referee’s notebook amid the chaos. Moments later, the final whistle confirmed Girona’s 2-1 victory in an intense and emotionally charged derby.
The aftermath proved equally significant. Barcelona’s camp, including Flick, Raphinha and Araujo, were visibly frustrated by the foul on Koundé that preceded Beltrán’s winner, leading to prolonged discussions with referee César Soto Grado. The result lifts Girona from 15th to 12th in the table, opening a five-point gap over the relegation zone, while Barcelona surrender top spot to Real Madrid, who now lead by two points.
Looking ahead, Girona travel to Vitoria Gasteiz to face Deportivo Alavés at the Estadio de Mendizorroza, while Barcelona return to Camp Nou for two successive league fixtures against Levante and Villarreal before hosting Atlético de Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final on the 3rd of March.
In the days following the match, Spain’s Technical Committee of Referees announced that it would sanction the VAR official from the fixture after internally concluding that a serious error had occurred in the buildup to Girona’s winning goal. The Committee determined that Echeverri’s stamp on Koundé constituted a clear and non-interpretative mistake under VAR intervention guidelines and that the on-field referee should have been advised to review the incident at the monitor once the goal was scored. The play was deemed part of the same attacking phase, meaning the goal should likely have been disallowed.
According to reports, the VAR official at Montilivi, David Gálvez Rascón, has been suspended until further notice as part of the CTA’s ongoing weekly procedural reviews aimed at improving consistency and accountability. Echeverri later admitted the contact in an interview with El Chiringuito, stating that he stepped on Koundé’s foot while running at speed but did not do so intentionally, and adding that he would have understood had the referee awarded a foul.
