A moment during the game
Barcelona missed the chance to climb back to the top of La Liga after suffering a dramatic defeat to regional rivals Girona FC in a heated Catalan derby at Estadio Montilivi.
Teenage forward Lamine Yamal endured a frustrating night, missing several clear chances and striking the post from the penalty spot, as Barça fell to a late goal that swung the title race back in favour of Real Madrid.
Coached by Hansi Flick, Barcelona now sit two points behind their arch rivals after substitute Fran Beltran struck in the 86th minute to seal victory for the hosts and boost their fight against relegation.
The decisive moment arrived amid controversy. Barcelona protested that defender Jules Kounde had been fouled in the build-up, but after a brief VAR review, the goal stood.
Girona finished the match with 10 men after substitute Joel Roca was sent off deep into stoppage time for a reckless challenge on Yamal.
Despite the numerical advantage, Barcelona could not find a late equaliser, slipping to only their third league defeat against their neighbours.
The match began at a furious pace, with Girona testing the Barcelona goalkeeper inside the opening minute.
The visitors, however, struggled to match that intensity and wasted multiple scoring opportunities. Yamal was central to those missed chances, failing twice from close range before seeing his first-half stoppage-time penalty rebound off the base of the post.
Barcelona eventually took the lead in the 59th minute when young centre-back Pau Cubarsi powered a looping header into the top corner from Kounde’s cross — his first league goal for the club.
The advantage lasted just two minutes, as Girona responded swiftly through Thomas Lemar, who finished from close range after a low delivery into the box.
The home side thought they had gone ahead again shortly after when a speculative header caused chaos in the area, but the goal was ruled out for a foul on the goalkeeper.
Beltran’s late strike ultimately settled the contest, ending Girona’s three-match winless run and lifting them to 12th place, five points clear of the relegation zone.
Barcelona, meanwhile, have now lost back-to-back matches in all competitions following their heavy Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg defeat to Atletico Madrid.
Their title hopes could suffer a further blow depending on Real Madrid’s next result, while Barcelona turn their focus to their upcoming home fixture against Levante.