GIRONA BEAT BARCELONA FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!
Monday 11 December 2023
La Liga EA SPORTS
Matchday 16/38
Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, Barcelona
İlkay Gündoğan, looks dejected as
Girona returned to the summit of the La Liga Table.
PREVIEW:
A highly entertaining clash awaits
at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, as Barca host Girona in what
is a top half clash. After seeing Real Madrid drop points in their 1-1 draw against
Real Betis Balompié at the Benito Villamarín Stadium in Seville, Girona saw
this as a chance to go 2 points clear of the 14-time UCL winners. Before this
game, both teams arrived at this clash on the back of crucial wins for either
side. Barcelona saw off Atletico Madrid at home, with Joao Felix scoring against
his parent club as the 24-year-old Portuguese winger is on loan from them. Whereas
Girona saw off Valencia at the Estadio Municipal de Montilivi in Girona, thanks
to Uruguayan striker Christhian Stuani, who came off the bench to score a
double within the space of 6 minutes to extend Girona’s unbeaten run. Can Barca
continue their winning form, or will Girona get their first ever win against
the 5-time UCL winners in their history?
TEAM NEWS:
There is still no Marc-Andre Ter Stegen for Barca, as he is
preparing to undergo lower back surgery, and Iñaki Peña continues to deputise for the 31-year-old German.
Aside from that, Xavi names an unchanged team from the 1-0 home win against Atlético
Madrid, in a 4-3-3 flat formation, which sees Uruguayan Ronald Araujo play at
right back with Joao Cancelo at left-back partnering Jules Kounde and Andreas
Christensen as a 4-man backline with Ilkay Gundogan, Pedri and Frenkie De Jong
in the midfield as 35-year-old Polish veteran Robert Lewandowski spearheads the
attack with Joao Felix and Raphinha playing on the wing.
Meanwhile, Michel changes
his tactics and goes for a 3-4-2-1 formation that sees Ukrainian duo of Viktor
Tsygankov and Artem Dovbyk in the team as well as one change from the win against
Valencia, with Yan Couto replacing Venezuelan Yangel Herrera who is injured and
former Manchester City CB, Eric Garcia is eligible to face his parent club, as
he is on loan at Girona from Barca.
KICK-OFF: FIRST HALF
Underway we go in Barcelona, as the home side
kick-off the contest. An intriguing contest here as it is the 7th
time these two meet up. As early as 3 minutes, the first chance of the game,
and it goes to the hosts. Lewandowski’s header was kept out by former Tottenham
GK Paulo Gazzaniga and Girona clear away the ball. And then 3 minutes later, the
first chance for the visitors, as Girona were on the break, but Viktor Tsygankov
couldn’t get the shot powerfully as he hits it straight at Iñaki Peña. And after attacks here and there, Girona
struck first. Barca committed too many players forward as Yan Couto finds
Tsygankov. The Ukrainian got lucky as Christensen slips, giving him space, and
squared up Dovbyk and he made no mistake. The tall 26-year-old number 9 was
clinical in the finishing as he got his 8th league goal of the
season. First blood from Girona.
Dovbyk
celebrates as he scores the opening goal. BAR 0 – GIR 1.
This gave Barcelona time to think about why Girona exposed their back line. Will they come up with an answer? And yes, they did, as on 18 minutes, Cancelo’s shot saved by Gazzaniga which awards Barca a corner. And from that, they levelled the scores. The clinical Lewandowski headed in Raphinha’s cross as the home support started going wild after the leveller, a wonderful cross fit perfect for the striker as the 35-year-old Pole heads into the bottom corner for his 8th league goal of the season, much to Gazzaniga’s disgust on not saving the ball properly.
Lewandowski
headed in the equaliser from Raphinha’s corner. BAR 1 – GIR 1.
It was the answer that Barca needed to keep themselves
in the game. And 4 minutes after the leveller, a huge chance for Girona as
Kounde was unaware of Artem Dovbyk, the cross was delivered in but only for the
big man to head it wide. And the chances kept coming for Girona, this time it
was Miguel Gutierrez whose shot was saved expertly by Iñaki Peña to keep the game level. This time, on 31
minutes, it was Gazzaniga’s turn to be called for a shot to be saved. Joao
Cancelo made a good run by going past three players, but the Argentine keeper
was equal to the shot. With only 6 minutes remaining, a huge chance for Girona.
It was Gutierrez again who tried to go for goal, but his shot was well wide of
the post. Third time lucky it was for the former Real Madrid youth player as
this time with 5 minutes till half-time, he received Iván Martín’s pass to slot
that beautifully for a wonderful second goal for Girona. Miguel Gutiérrez is
having a wonderful time with his team, getting the crucial goal to spark the
visiting fans at the Olimipic Luis Companys stadium. Barca are now behind for
the second time.
Gutiérrez’s goal was crucial as this gave Girona something
to work on before the second half. BAR 1 – GIR 2.
HT in Barcelona
with Girona absolutely having a really good time now.
KICK-OFF: SECOND HALF
Girona kick-off the second half of this fierce
encounter. The start of the second half was much better from Xavi’s men and
they continued to create good chances for them to score. Their best chance of
the first few minutes came on 51 minutes, when De Jong’s low shot was parried
away by Gazzaniga. The chances kept coming for Barca, but they couldn’t get hit
the target. This ultimately, forces Xavi into a triple substitution to try and
get back into the game with Lamine Yamal, Alejandro Balde, and Ferran Torres on
for Felix, Raphinha and Andreas Christensen.
Paulo Gazzaniga
has been Girona’s best player throughout the game. Despite conceding two goals,
he made crucial saves to keep Girona in the game.
Barca continued to raise the tempo of the
game, which also encourages the home fans to cheer them on until the end. And on
73 minutes, Girona’s first substitution occurs. Christhian Stuani comes on for
Ukrainian Dovbyk for the final 15 minutes to see off the hosts. Two more changes
from Girona, that saw Tsygankov and Yan Couto off, with Portu and Valery
Fernandez on for the visitors as the final 10 minutes of the game approaches.
At the same time, Xavi throws in Fermin Lopez to see if there is any impact
that was made. But it was Girona’s subs that made a significant impact on 80
minutes. With barely minutes on the pitch, Valery Fernandez tucked in Stuani’s
nod-down pass to slot it past Peña to make
it 3-1 to Girona. A wonderful goal from the two subs working together to help their
team get over the line.
It was all Barca, dominating and making
chances, but this time it was the visitors that started to threaten the defence
with 9 minutes to play. To add more woes to
Barca, this chance on 86 minutes, was once again a big one, substitute Yamal
was dribbling nicely across the Girona defence and teed up Gündoğan, but the
German’s attempt, was over the bar. But then Girona almost got a 4th,
unfortunately for Valery Fernandez, he fires over the bar from close range. A massive
chance for the visitors. And within the 8 minutes of added time, Barca clawed
their way back into the game. Yamal led the attack and found Torres, and the Manchester
City link-up of Torres and Gündoğan, saw 33-year-old İlkay Gündoğan score the
second goal for Barcelona. Is there to be late drama in this clash with only 6
more minutes of added time to play. Game on for Barcelona, 3-2 to Girona, regardless.
İlkay Gündoğan scored a wonderful finish to score Barca’s
second, to take the game deep into stoppage time.
With time running
out for Barca, Girona eventually closed off the game by delivering the knockout
blow with 3 minutes of added time to play. Who else it was, other than Cristhian
Stuani? The tall man, pounced on Savio’s cross and tapped in at the near post
to score the 4th goal and seal the 3 points for Michel’s team.
Stuani sealed the win in added time for Michel’s team, to the expense of his 5th booking of the
season, he will miss Monday's home game against
But due to the excessive
celebrations, Stuani was booked, which meant that he is going to serve a
one-game ban for accumulating 5 yellow cards this season. This means that the 37-year-old
striker was set to miss the game at home to Deportivo Alaves on Monday 18 December
2023.
THAT WAS THAT!! FT
IN BARCELONA!! HUGE VICTORY FOR GIRONA! With this victory, the CFG (City
Football Group) based team, will be top of the table until the next matchday,
which is on Saturday 16 December 2023. It is Girona’s first ever win against
Barcelona. It will be a day that will be remembered by Girona fans for many years
to come.
WHAT IS NEXT?
Barcelona will look
to win their next game as they travel to the Mestalla stadium in Valencia to
face off Valencia on Saturday afternoon, as the hosts (Valencia) will look to
return to winning ways after losing away at Girona. But before that, a trip to Royal
Antwerp comes on Wednesday, for their final UCL group stage game.
Girona will welcome Deportivo
Alavés to the Montivilli Stadium in Girona, as they will look to make it 4
straight wins in a row in all competitions to continue fighting for the top 4.
POST-MATCH PICTURES:
All the Girona players celebrated a
famous victory in Barcelona on Sunday.
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