Ronald Araujo scored deep into second-half stoppage time to provide Barcelona all three factors in opposition to Girona and raise Hansi Flick’s facet to the highest of LaLiga.
Pedri gave Barca the lead lower than 15-minutes in just for Girona to hit again with a beautiful objective from Axel Witsel.
Barca dominated for many of the match thereafter however a mix of squandered possibilities and resolute defending saved the reigning champions at bay.
That was till the 94th minute when Araujo steered in a Frenkie de Jong cross to ship the house followers inside Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys right into a frenzy of jubilation and reduction.
The consequence means Flick’s males leapfrog rivals Actual Madrid – for twenty-four hours a minimum of – whereas Girona stay second backside.
Hosts begin nicely however Witsel marvel objective attracts guests degree
Lamine Yamal threatened early on with an audacious piece of trickery out extensive however the subsequent end lacked the identical class.
{The teenager} then performed his half within the breakthrough, discovering Pedri together with his again to objective within the opposition field. The younger midfielder nonetheless had a lot to do, however someway discovered a gap for himself after jinking throughout the realm, hitting a neat left-footed reverse shot that nestled into the underside nook.
It was what the hosts deserved. Nonetheless, simply when it seemed like Barca have been in cruise management, Witsel scored with a elegant bicycle kick to carry Girona degree lower than 10 minutes later.
Barca once more began to dominate and went near regaining the lead shortly earlier than the half-hour mark when Marcus Rashford crashed a beautiful curling free-kick in opposition to the underside of the bar.
Yamal then tried an acrobatic effort of his personal from Rashford’s deflected cross however failed to seek out the goal.
Alternatives aplenty go begging
Girona’s possibilities have been few and much between. However because the previous bus adage goes, they’d two in fast succession earlier than the break.
First, Bryan Gil beat Barca’s excessive line of defense and charged down on Wojciech Szczesny, however the former Tottenham participant’s end was rash and the ball sailed harmlessly extensive of the objective.
Witsel maybe then ought to have grabbed his second if the day when he was picked out by Alex Moreno’s cut-back. However, like Gil, the skilled Belgian did not have the required composure and he despatched his side-footed effort previous the publish.
With the rain bucketing down, the floodgates did not open in entrance of objective. From a nook, Pau Cubarsi had a strike chalked off after Eric Garcia was adjudged to have dedicated a foul within the build-up.
Rashford twice went shut and Fermin lashed an effort extensive as time gave the impression to be ticking away for Flick’s males.
The guests defended valiantly till the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time when De Jong’s low cross was turned in by Araujo to say all three factors and, briefly a minimum of, raise the Catalan membership to the summit of LaLiga.