The night Girona went from dreamers to believers
They may have gone into the weekend as joint-leaders alongside Real Madrid. But, there was still one crucial question hanging over high-flying Girona – Could they beat one of the big clubs? They had previously suffered a 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid and drawn against Real Sociedad and Athletic Club. A win against one of the current top six had eluded them. Well, that was true until Sunday.
December 10, 2023, could go down as one of the most pivotal days in the 2023/24 LaLiga season. On a Sunday evening in Montjuic, Míchel’s expectation-defying troops wrote another historic chapter in a memorable story that shows no sign of ending. The challengers walked to the middle of the ring, stared their opponents in the face and refused to move an inch. They went toe-to-toe with the champions and won.
The first significant blow arrived in the 12th minute when Artem Dovbyk fired in off the inside of the post to round off a clinical and swift counter-attack. Barcelona may have been rocked, but they came back swinging, with Robert Lewandowski heading home from Raphinha’s corner to restore parity within seven minutes.
Instead of being deterred by Barça’s leveller, a brave Girona side went on the attack. Real Madrid academy product Miguel Gutiérrez fired off a couple of warning shots that were ultimately ignored by the hosts. Gutiérrez was in no mood to give the champions a third chance, as he drifted into the box, before unleashing an unstoppable strike beyond an outstretched Iñaki Peña.
If Barça were not reeling at the break, they certainly were in the 80th minute when Cristhian Stuani flicked the ball on to his fellow substitute Valery, who skipped past Jules Koundé’s weak challenge and duly slotted home Girona’s third goal of the evening.
While the contest seemed over, there were still more twists to come in stoppage time. İlkay Gündoğan halved the deficit with a thumping strike before Robert Lewandowski headed wide from a promising opportunity. After seeing the Poland international go close to netting a late equaliser, any normal side would have focused on managing the game and protecting their narrow lead. But this Girona team is not normal. It’s special and full of courage.
So when they were presented with a free-kick in their own half, an unmarked Gutiérrez pleaded and begged Aleix García to feed him the ball. When the Girona midfielder duly obliged, the ball ultimately ended up at the feet of Savinho, who produced a lofted cross to the far post for the evergreen Stuani to tap home. The three precious points were sealed and Barcelona were stunned.
It was a result that moved Girona two points clear at the top of the table, sending a clear message that they are no longer imposters in the title race but real contenders. There is now a sense that they are in the fight for the long haul and that maybe, just maybe, they could produce LaLiga’s version of Leicester City’s fairytale Premier League win in 2015/16.
There have been suggestions that the City Football Group’s considerable stake in the club may prevent this from being a true fairytale. But while it may take some of the gloss off, it does not take away from the fact that this is a club punching well above their weight in just their fourth season in the top flight. This is a team that has a budget befitting of a bottom-half side. Girona are David and the established powerhouses of Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Barcelona are Goliath.
They simply should not be here, but with Míchel’s mastery and a fearless approach, the highest scorers in the division are aiming to become the first team outside of Barça, Real Madrid and Atleti to win LaLiga since Valencia lifted the trophy in 2003/04. A feat that seemed so implausible a few months ago now feels like a realistic ambition.