Barcelona 4-1 Girona: Match report & 3 talking points as La Liga leaders regain three-point cushion

Barcelona opened up a three-point lead at the top of La Liga after beating Catalan rivals Girona 4-1 on Sunday afternoon.

Barca avenged their pair of defeats to Michel's side last season by putting four past Girona in a pair of victories this term. While the visitors equalised at the start of the second half, they struggled to get a foothold in proceedings as the red-hot hosts dominated.

Hansi Flick's side thus responded to Real Madrid's 3-2 victory over Leganes on Saturday ahead of the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final against Atleti in midweek.

How the game unfolded

Flick rotated again on Sunday afternoon off the back of Thursday's win over Osasuna, with Barcelona's daunting April schedule requiring the extremities of the German's squad.

Barca's aim was the return of their three-point advantage at the top of La Liga with regional neighbours Girona in attendance, and the hosts started the contest with the intention of wrapping things up early.

After Viktor Tsygankov fired an effort over for the visitors, Lamine Yamal was at the heart of Barca's best moments in the opening exchanges, which failed to return a goal. Robert Lewandowski and Yamal both had efforts saved by Paulo Gazzaniga before the Argentine goalkeeper made an excellent stop to prevent Ronald Araujo's header from giving Barcelona the lead.

The hosts were utterly dominant against a side that aren't used to playing without the ball. Girona's average possession share is third-highest in La Liga this season, but they were limited to just 29% of the ball in the opening period. The visitors did settle defensively despite their territorial inferiority, but Barca's pressure eventually told at the end of the opening period when Ladislav Krejci deflected Yamal's free-kick beyond a helpess Gazzaniga.

A procession was expected after the restart, but Girona ensured Barca would have to work for all three points. A rare pressing sequence from the visitors led to their unlikely equaliser, with Arnaut Danjuma finishing well after receivng Daley Blind's pinpoint pass.

However, it didn't take Barcelona long to retake the lead. Their previously dormant left-hand side turned up on the hour mark, with Gavi's cross for Fermin Lopez leading to a moment of genius poaching work from Lewandowski, who converted acrobatically from close range.

Girona's best period of the contest arrived after Barca's second goal, as they started to have success accessing Miguel Gutierrez and Danjuma in behind an aggressive defensive line. However, a masterful evasion of pressure from Frenkie de Jong in midfield ended the contest. The Dutchman surged forward and teed up Lewandowski for his second.

The hosts refused to rest on their laurels in the aftermath, and they were restless in their quest to score late on. Substitute Ferran Torres added a fourth, while Yamal and Alejandro Balde came close to scoring a fifth.

Player ratings

Check out the player ratings from Barcelona 4-1 Girona.

Robert Lewandowski surging towards second Pichichi

Robert Lewandowski proved against Atletico Madrid before the break that even during his twilight years, he only needs a yard of space.

The striker has been excellent this season after a dip in Xavi's final year, with the veteran performing a pivotal focal point function which has allowed Raphinha to thrive. However, Lewandowski remains Barca's primary goal-getter, and he responded to Kylian Mbappe's brace on Saturday by scoring twice here.

He hadn't seen too much of Gazzaniga's goal before he found the back of the net with the craftiest of finishes from close range to beat Girona's number one. The Pole's second owed much to De Jong's brilliance in the middle of the park, but his strike was nonetheless emphatic.

His 24th and 25th goals of the La Liga season means Lewandowski's advantage over Mbappe in the race for the Pichichi Trophy remains three. The difference isn't unassailable, but the Frenchman has work to do to prevent Lewandowski from becoming the 18th multi-time Pichichi winner.

Barcelona's balance issues in possession

Barcelona have been one of the most watchable teams in Europe this season, with their synergy in possession making for outstanding combination play. The hosts doubtlessly had moments on Sunday of masterful cohesion in possession, and Yamal was weaving his magic wand down the right.

However, in the absence of Raphinha and Alejandro Balde down the left flank, Barca were almost too reliant on the teenager. Much of their work focused down the right, with Jules Kounde offering handy surges from full-back to further overwhelm Girona's left side. While the pair worked tremendously well and Yamal was so hard to stop one-on-one, the absence of a left flank meant Barca weren't quite so scintillating against their Catalan neighbours.

Gerard Martin deputised for Balde but never looked sure of himself and was reluctant to get high up the pitch in the opening period. With Gavi drifting off the left to work alongside Fermin Lopez between the lines, Barca desperately needed Martin to function as an auxiliary winger, but the young defender looked to be a staggering downgrade to Balde before growing into the contest during its latter stages.

Despite their issues, it was the left flankers who combined to create the chance which led to Barca's second goal. There was an improvement in the second half, with the arrival of Ferran Torres supplying greater balance in the final third.

Eric Garcia proves his worth

While Pedri has been a constant in the middle of the park for Barcelona this season, there's been a constant stream of rotation alongside him. La Masia graduate Marc Casado was the star of the first half of 2024/25, but Frenkie de Jong has rediscovered his very best form in the new year.

Casado's season is over due to an ACL tear suffered before the international break, while De Jong was rested on Sunday. Pedri remained in the XI, but he was partnered by Eric Garcia.

This was just his eighth La Liga start of the season - the majority of which have arrived in midfield. After breaking out as a centre-back at Manchester City and impressing in Michel's defence last season, it now appears as if Garcia's future lies in a more advanced position, certainly at Barcelona.

He's as steady as they come, but the Spaniard is a noticeably intelligent footballer who's aware of his limitations. He's more than willing to let the more talented stars around him thrive, and that's what Garcia was excellent at on Sunday. Stationed at the base of midfield, Garcia played a key role in ensuring Barcelona sustained pressure throughout.

Barca's counter-pressing was outstanding, but Garcia's astute positioning and capacity to win duels also didn't allow Girona to break. This was his 100th outing in Blaugrana colours, and it may well have been one of his best performances.

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