In the 24th round of the 2025/26 La Liga season, Barcelona traveled to Girona for an away game. They ultimately suffered a shock 1-2 defeat, handing over the top spot to Real Madrid.

Barcelona attempted to take the initiative early on, but to no avail: In the 6th minute, Rafinha cut the ball back from the left side of the penalty area, and Ramin Yamal's long-range shot went just wide. In the 17th minute, Fermín López delivered a cross from the right wing, and Rafinha unleashed a powerful shot, which also went wide. In the 19th minute, Dani Olmo delivered a precise lob pass to Yamal near midfield, but Yamal's long run and subsequent shot were saved by Paulo Gazzaniga.

As the game progressed, Girona, having regained their composure, began to engage in an attacking battle with Barcelona. In the 23rd minute, Viktor Tsygankov broke through and delivered a diagonal pass, but Vladislav Vanat's follow-up shot was saved by Joan Garcia. In the 24th minute, Rafinha dribbled past his defender in the penalty area and passed the ball across to Ferran Torres, whose shot towards the far corner went just wide. In the 29th minute, Brian Hill played a through ball from the edge of the penalty area, but Vanat's follow-up shot was again saved by Garcia. In the 35th minute, Hill delivered a cross from the left wing, and Vanat, unmarked, slipped and failed to connect with the ball.

In the 43rd minute, Yamal cut inside from the right and delivered a diagonal pass, but Rafinha's shot from inside the box hit the bottom right post. In the first minute of first-half stoppage time, Olmo was fouled by Blind in the penalty area, and Yamal's penalty kick was also denied by the right post. After missing several scoring opportunities, Barcelona and Girona went into halftime with a goalless draw.

The second half saw a dramatic turn of events: In the 59th minute, Jules Koundé delivered a long cross from the right wing, and Pau Cubas headed the ball into the net to give Barcelona the lead. However, just three minutes later, Cubas made a defensive error, gifting a goal to Vanat, who then passed the ball across to Thomas Lemar, who scored from close range.

After that, the pressure on Barcelona increased. In the 72nd minute, Ivan Martin and Vanat launched a series of dangerous attacks, but Garcia made several crucial saves to keep Barcelona's goal intact. In the 75th minute, Claudio Echeverri's through ball down the right flank once again split the Barcelona defense, but Joel Roca's final shot was brilliantly saved by Garcia. In the 86th minute, Roca, facing multiple defenders in the penalty area, chose to pass back, and Fran Beltrán met the ball with a low shot to give Girona the lead and complete the comeback.

In second-half stoppage time, Barcelona briefly saw a glimmer of hope. In the 90+4 minute, Fermín López assisted Robert Lewandowski's header, but the referee subsequently ruled Lewandowski offside. In the 90+9 minute, Roca was sent off with a straight red card for a foul on Yamal, but by then time had run out for Barcelona. Ultimately, Girona secured a 2-1 victory at home.

Image source: Internet/Barcelona official website