Yamal misses penalty; Barcelona lose chance to go top after defeat to Girona

Staff Reporter: PNN

In La Liga, FC Barcelona missed a golden opportunity to move to the top of the table. The Catalan club lost 2-1 at home to Girona FC, missing the chance to claim first place. They remain second, two points behind Real Madrid.

Despite aggressive play from the start, Lamine Yamal missed a crucial penalty just before halftime, hitting the post. The teams went into the break goalless.

In the 59th minute, Barcelona took the lead through a header by Pau Cubarsi from a Jules Kounde cross. The goal marked Barcelona’s 100th in all competitions this season—making them the second team in Europe’s top five leagues to reach that milestone, after FC Bayern Munich.

However, Girona equalized just three minutes later through Thomas Lemar, assisted by Vladyslav Vanat. Late in the match, substitute Fran Beltran scored the winner. Although Girona’s Joel Roca received a red card in added time, the scoreline remained unchanged.

Girona broke a three-match winless streak and moved up to 12th in the table, level on points with Getafe CF. For coach Hansi Flick’s Barcelona, it was their second defeat in a week.