Girona stuns Barca 4-2 away to restore La Liga lead

Girona, which remain unbeaten away from home in LaLiga this season, top the standings with 41 points from 16 games.

Girona players applaud the away fans after win against Barcelona. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

High-flying Girona reclaimed top spot in LaLiga after beating champion Barcelona 4-2 away on Sunday, condemning Xavi Hernandez’s side to its second league defeat of the season.

Artem Dovbyk and Miguel Gutierrez both scored for Girona in the first half, either side of Robert Lewandowski’s equaliser, before Girona’s Valery Fernandez and Cristhian Stuani added two more goals after the break with Ilkay Gundogan netting another for Barca.

Girona, which remain unbeaten away from home in LaLiga this season, top the standings with 41 points from 16 games, having leapfrogged Real Madrid on 39 points after Carlo Ancelotti’s side was held to a 1-1 draw by Real Betis on Saturday.

Barcelona, whose only previous defeat this season was to Real at the end of October, is fourth on 34 points, level with third-placed Atletico Madrid which have a game in hand.

Barcelona had 31 attempts in the game, 11 of them on target, but Girona keeper Paulo Gazzaniga pulled off a string of saves while at the other end they scored with four out of their seven shots on target.

Dovbyk put Girona in front in the 12th minute with a shot that bounced in off the bottom of the post for his eighth goal in his debut LaLiga season.

Lewandowski rediscovered his goal-scoring form and equalised for the host seven minutes later, heading home following a corner.

It was the Poland striker’s first goal for Barca in nearly a month, following his brace against Alaves on Nov. 12.

Gutierrez restored Girona’s lead before halftime, after the defender broke into the box and scored with an individual effort, and Fernandez made it 3-1 in the 80th minute with a low shot two minutes after coming off the bench.

Gundogan pulled another goal back for Barca before Girona’s Stuani scored their fourth in stoppage time.

Barcelona, which on Wednesday travels to Royal Antwerp in the Champions League, next visits mid-table Valencia in the league on Saturday. Girona hosts 12th placed Alaves on Dec. 18.