Lamine Yamal Misses Penalty As Barcelona Drops Crucial Points In LaLiga Title Race

Montilivi witnessed a seismic shift in the LaLiga title race on Monday as Girona stunned Barcelona 2-1, capitalizing on a missed penalty by teenage winger Lamine Yamal to claim a victory that throws the championship chase wide open. The defeat, only the second in the league for Hansi Flick’s side since late October, leaves Barcelona scrambling to keep pace at the summit after a night of high drama in Catalonia.

Yamal, entrusted with the spot-kick after a first half in which Barcelona had twice struck the woodwork, saw his effort parried away in the 63rd minute with the score level at 1-1. The miss proved pivotal: Girona surged forward minutes later, punishing the visitors on the break to seal the 2-1 scoreline that ignited celebrations across the modest Montilivi stands.

Barcelona had arrived on the back of a five-match winning streak in the league, yet they were met by a Girona side desperate to rebound from their own recent stumbles. The hosts struck first against the run of play, but Flick’s men responded quickly through a sweeping move that culminated in an equalizer just before the interval. The pendulum seemed to swing decisively when Yamal earned the penalty, yet his attempt lacked conviction and was comfortably turned aside.

Girona, sensing blood, pressed higher in the aftermath and found the decisive second goal when a rapid counter exposed the Blaugrana back line, the finish tucked away with aplomb. Barcelona threw numbers forward in the closing stages, but Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga produced a pair of acrobatic saves to preserve the advantage and consign the visitors to a damaging defeat.

The result leaves Barcelona still within striking distance of the top but now reliant on slip-ups from rivals to regain control of their fate. For Girona, the triumph not only boosts survival hopes but also rekindles memories of their earlier-season giant-killing exploits.

Lamine Yamal, so often heralded as the club’s next superstar, will shoulder the weight of the loss, yet the broader concern for Flick will be how quickly his side can regroup with the season entering its decisive stretch. With points at a premium and every match now effectively a cup final, Barcelona’s room for error has evaporated.

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