Girona snatches a last-minute victory from Barcelona; Michel: This win is exactly what we needed.

2026-02-18 04:25

Girona came from behind to defeat defending champions Barcelona 2-1 in the 24th round of the 2025/26 La Liga season, coming back from a goal down to win 2-1 thanks to goals from Thomas Lemar and Fran Berlant. Manager Michel stated that it was a much-needed victory and an important step forward.

In the first half stoppage time, Olmo was brought down by Daly Blind while receiving the ball, and the referee awarded Barcelona a penalty. Yamal then took the penalty, but the ball hit the post. In the 59th minute of the second half, Koundé chipped the ball into the penalty area, and Pau Kouvarsi headed it into the net, giving Barcelona a 1-0 lead.

In the 62nd minute, Vanat crossed the ball into the box, and Thomas Lemar slotted it home to level the score at 1-1 for Girona. In the 86th minute, Joel Roca passed the ball back to Fran Berlant at the edge of the penalty area, who unleashed a long-range shot to give Girona a 2-1 lead.

Ultimately, Barcelona lost 1-2 to Girona away from home. Returning to winning ways, Girona now sits in 12th place in the standings with 29 points.

Girona coach Michel said in an interview, "This victory is exactly what we needed. There are currently as many as 10 teams fighting to get out of the relegation zone. The three points we got from beating Barcelona are much more than just three points. They can usually beat almost any opponent, so if we can beat them, it's a very important step."

“I think it was a fantastic game, and I really enjoyed it. It’s very difficult to enjoy a game against such a strong opponent and with such a high intensity. I enjoyed it because the players performed brilliantly, and so did Barcelona. Anything can happen, but we absolutely deserved the victory.”

Michel stated, "After such a wonderful match, it's unfair to focus on just one decision; it seems like an oversimplification of football. It was a major game, and it's unfair to talk about only one decision afterward. Joan Garcia was Barcelona's best player, and we delivered an extraordinary performance."

Image source: Internet