FC Barcelona have lost an action-packed Catalan derby away to struggling Girona, and it’s a result that means they have surrendered top spot in the league to Real Madrid.

The first-half was all about missed chances from both sides, including a penalty that Lamine Yamal drove onto the post.

the game as it happened

In the second, Barça finally took the lead from a fine Pau Cubarsí header, but practically from the restart Girona pulled back level.

Tempers flew in the final minutes, but the game was otherwise a wonderful advert for Catalan football, albeit with the wrong outcome from the Culer point of view. Both teams gave everything they had and more to find a winner, but it was the home side who eventually found the net with four minutes of regular time remaining.

Controversial talking points were in no short supply as the proceedings reached a high-octane climax, but try as Barça could, they couldn’t find the goal that could at least have salvaged a point.

Missed penalty

Who knows how differently things might have panned out had FC Barcelona capitalised on a golden opportunity to go in for the half time break with a lead to defend. After Dani Olmo’s foot got stamped upon in the Girona area, Lamine Yamal stepped up to take the penalty but sent it straight onto the post.

Yamal had also had Barça’s best chance until then, when he had a clear run on goal but keeper Paulo Gazzaniga was wise to his attempted chip.

Raphinha back

There had been plenty of other opportunities, with Raphinha looking as fresh as ever after returning from injury and having three or four excellent chances, one of which struck the woodwork.

That’s not to say it was one-way traffic. Anything but. Girona were bringing plenty to the derby party, giving Joan García plenty to think about and coming especially close when Vladyslav Vanat narrowly failed to connect with a killer pass from the omnipresent Bryan Gil.

With so many chances for both sides, it was extraordinary that it took an hour for the first goal to be scored, and then in the space of just two minutes there were two.

A goal each

Barça were going through a bit of a lean period when Jules Kounde flipped a ball forward and Pau Cubarsí rose to meet it with the perfect header, driving the ball into the top-left corner.

It was nice compensation for the one so cruelly disallowed a few days earlier in the cup, but the celebrations were pitifully short.

Practically from the restart, Girona unleashed an attack of their own that ended with Thomas Lemar tapping the ball over the line to make it 1-1.

Girona ahead

The goal fired up Montilivi and it was Joan García who kept Barça alive. He had already made one brilliant save against Vanat in the first half, but the one to block the same man from point-blank range in the second was simply breathtaking. And that wasn’t the only time that the Barça keeper prevented Girona from scoring a lot earlier than they eventually did.

Because Girona's second goal eventually came. The final minutes had been utterly frantic. Both sides were throwing everything forward, sometimes with more passion than ideas, and in one of many manic scrambles Fran Beltrán struck.

The home fans went wild, but the clear foul on Koundé in the build-up looked at least worthy of a serious VAR review. It didn’t happen. The goal stood.

Hectic finale

Protesting was futile, Barça had to do their talking on the pitch. Robert Lewandowski did head home, but the flag was up for offside.

Injury time was mayhem. With Joan García utterly neglecting his usual duties and operating practically as a centre forward, Barça pushed the Girona defence to its limits and beyond. Frenkie de Jong was screaming for a penalty and as tempered flared, Joel Roca was red carded for a nasty lunge on Lamine Yamal…

But all to no avail. Barça have suffered their second painful defeat this week, and this one means they are no longer league leaders. But there’s still plenty of time to right the wrong.

Força Barça