Girona vs Barcelona: Girona stuns Barca 2-1 as Yamal penalty miss proves costly
Girona rallied to beat Barcelona 2-1 on Monday night (ET), snapping a three-game winless run and handing Barcelona a damaging defeat that left the champions two points behind the league leaders. The match swung on a missed spot kick at the break and a late winner that sent Girona's home crowd into raptures.
Key moments that decided the match
Barcelona looked set to leave Girona in their wake after creating several clear chances in the first half, but momentum shifted just before the interval when a Lamine Yamal penalty struck the post on the stroke of half-time. That miss proved pivotal: less than a quarter-hour into the second period, Pau Cubarsí met a right-side cross and powered a header into the top corner, a finish that doubled as Barcelona's 100th goal in all competitions this season.
Girona responded almost immediately. Three minutes after Cubarsí's opener, Thomas Lemar finished sharply from close range following incisive work down the left, restoring parity and swinging the contest back toward the hosts. Both teams pressed for a winner, but it was Girona who found one late. Substitute Fran Beltrán produced a low drive from inside the box with three minutes remaining, and the strike proved decisive.
The closing stages were tense: Girona's Joel Roca was dismissed in stoppage time, but there was no time for Barcelona to engineer another comeback. Barcelona’s goalkeeper, who had been busier throughout the match, could not keep out the match-winner, and Girona held on to claim all three points.
Fallout for Barcelona and lift for Girona
The defeat compounds a difficult week for Barcelona. It was their second setback in under seven days, following a heavy cup loss, and it leaves questions hanging over the squad and coaching staff. The result dropped Barcelona to second in the table, two points adrift of the leaders, and amplified scrutiny over finishing and game management.
Strikingly, recent scoring data underlines a growing problem: Barcelona have been prolific in creating shots but have struggled to convert them efficiently. In their last five matches they converted nine goals from 112 shots, a conversion rate that has cost them points when it matters most. Against Girona, a flurry of wasted opportunities in the first half ensured that the hosts had the latitude to mount a comeback.
For Girona, the win ended a three-game winless streak and lifted them up the table into 12th place, level on points with another midtable side. The narrow margins that define this season’s standings are clear: only seven points separate the cluster of teams from eighth to 18th, highlighting how a single late strike or missed penalty can have outsized consequences over the course of the campaign.
What to watch next
Barcelona will need a rapid response to steady their title bid. Improving shot quality and composure in the final third must become priorities if they are to reclaim top spot. Meanwhile, Girona will take confidence from turning a difficult spell into three points at home and could use the momentum to push further up the table.
The clash underscored football’s unpredictability: a single missed penalty and a late substitute goal were enough to change the story of a match that had seemed to tilt toward the visitors. Both sides now head into upcoming fixtures with form, confidence and league positions altered by a compact, dramatic encounter.
