Barcelona lost 2-1 to Girona in a tense La Liga derby on February 16, 2026. The defeat left the champions two points behind leaders Real Madrid. Hansi Flick’s side dominated possession but wasted chances. Girona capitalized on errors to secure victory.
First Half Stalemate
Both teams created opportunities early. Lamine Yamal fired straight at goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga for Barcelona. Meanwhile Girona’s Vladyslav Vanat missed several openings. Then, Dani Olmo earned a penalty after Daley Blind fouled him. However Yamal struck the post in stoppage time.
Second Half Drama
Barcelona broke through in the 59th minute. Pau Cubarsi headed in Jules Kounde’s cross. But Girona equalized two minutes later. Thomas Lemar tapped home Vanat’s pass after slipping past Eric Garcia. The hosts pushed forward. In the 86th minute, Fran Beltran stroked the winner from the edge of the area.
Key Incidents and Substitutions
Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia made crucial saves, including a double stop against Ivan Martin and Vanat. Girona finished with 10 men after Joel Roca received a red card for fouling Yamal in injury time. Substitutions included Robert Lewandowski entering for Ferran Torres around the 73rd minute.
Post-Match Reactions
Hansi Flick, the Barcelona manager, admitted shortcomings. He stated, “In the end Girona deserved it, they had a lot of chances, we defended very badly. We are not in a good mood, not in a good moment, I gave the team two days off because I think it’s important they reset.”
Pau Cubarsi, the Barcelona defender, echoed self-criticism. He said, “We have to improve because they can’t score these two goals against us. We have to be self-critical, we didn’t play a great game.”
Michel Sanchez, the Girona coach, celebrated the upset. He remarked, “Three points against Barca are more than three points, normally they beat almost all teams.”
Impact on Standings
The loss ended Barcelona’s three-game winning streak. Girona climbed to 12th place with 29 points. Real Madrid held 60 points atop the table after 24 matches.
