Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Girona: Unimpressive Barca Relinquish La Liga Top Spot

Estadi Montilivi, Girona – Barcelona arrived on the Costa Brava desperate to erase the bitter taste of their mid-week collapse against Atlético Madrid and reclaim first place in La Liga. Instead, they departed with a second straight defeat, a 2–1 loss to city rivals Girona that leaves the Blaugrana two points adrift of Real Madrid and questioning whether their season is slipping away before the spring thaw.

The pattern that has haunted Hansi Flick’s side for a month re-emerged inside the opening 45 minutes: dazzling approach play, a flurry of clear chances, and zero composure in front of goal. By the interval Barcelona could have been out of sight; by the final whistle they were staring up at a Girona side who punished every lapse with surgical precision.

Pau Cubarsí’s 58th-minute header, created by Jules Koundé’s measured cross, hinted at redemption for a team that had conceded four at the Metropolitano four days earlier. The 17-year-old’s first goal of the campaign lasted barely six minutes before Thomas Lemar ghosted in at the far post to level. With the clock ticking toward 90, Fran Beltrán collected a loose clearance and curled a low shot beyond Joan García to complete a comeback that felt inevitable once Barcelona’s finishing woes resurfaced.

Barcelona have now scored nine times from 112 shots across their last five competitive matches, a conversion rate that would embarrass even a relegation candidate. Against Girona they struck the frame of the goal, missed a penalty through Lamine Yamal, and watched Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga repel everything else. The visitors finished with 68 percent possession and 21 attempts, yet left with nothing.

Defensive frailty has dominated headlines, but the blunt attack is becoming an equally grave concern. In their only previous league defeat this season – a 1–0 setback at Real Sociedad – Barcelona squandered seven clear chances. Monday’s profligacy may prove more costly; the title race now runs through the Bernabéu.

Player Ratings

Joan García – 8.4 Recovered some much-needed belief with alert sweeping and two reaction stops that kept Barcelona in the match until the final kick. Could do nothing about either Girona goal.

Jules Koundé – 7.6 Solid on the right, delivering the assist for Cubarsí and holding his flank for long spells. Lost track of his runner twice, but Barça’s best defender on the night.

Pau Cubarsí – 7.9 A mature display marred only by the result. Intercepted repeatedly and timed tackles impeccably, then showed striker’s instinct to break the deadlock.

Eric García – 6.6 Looked uneasy in the high line, earned a yellow for a mistimed lunge and allowed Lemar to drift off him for the equaliser.

Gerard Martín – 6.7 Offered little going forward yet shackled Viktor Tsygankov so effectively that the Ukrainian was substituted. Produced a last-ditch block to deny what seemed a certain Girona opener.

Fermín López – 6.7 Never imposed himself on the contest, touching the ball sporadically and failing to threaten between the lines.

Frenkie de Jong – 7.0 Caught out by Girona’s quick transitions on a handful of occasions, but his metronomic passing kept Barcelona camped in the opposition half.

Dani Olmo – 7.5 Orchestrated from deep, threaded dangerous through-balls and crashed the box to win the spot-kick that Yamal sent wide.

Lamine Yamal – 7.7 Electrifying when dribbling at pace yet guilty of over-elaboration: scuffed the 38th-minute penalty, dragged two shots wide and over-hit a simple pass that would have sent Raphinha clean through.

Ferran Torres – 6.2 Worked the channels tirelessly but rarely received service; when chances arrived, his finishing lacked conviction.

Raphinha – 7.2 Returned from injury to inject energy down the left, created four chances and rattled the crossbar with a curling effort that would have restored the lead.

Substitutes

Alejandro Balde (63’) – 6.0 Quiet after replacing Martín, unable to stretch the game.

Roony Bardghji (63’) – 6.2 Flashed a pair of shots over when better options lay inside the six-yard box.

Ronald Araújo (73’) – 6.0 Pushed up as an emergency striker late on but never looked like repeating his dramatic winner from the reverse fixture.

Robert Lewandowski (73’) – 6.2 Flagged offside when he turned in what briefly appeared a late equaliser, then scuffed a half-chance wide.

Marc Bernal (80’) – 6.4 Snapped into tackles high up the pitch and recovered possession three times, yet the final ball never arrived.

Unused: Kochen, Szczęsny, Cancelo, Casadó, Marques

Barcelona now have a rare mid-season window to lick their wounds before the Supercopa de España and a Copa del Rey tie in which they must overturn a first-leg deficit. Unless Flick can coax ruthless finishing from his misfiring forwards, the gap to Madrid may only widen, and the trophy cabinet at Ciutat Esportiva could remain bare come May.

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