Barcelona Outclass Girona 4-1 to Maintain LaLiga Lead Over Real Madrid

Barcelona restored their three-point cushion over Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga with a commanding 4-1 victory over Girona in the Catalan derby, fueled by a second-half brace from Robert Lewandowski.

Lewandowski’s Brilliance Seals Victory

Barcelona’s triumph at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys saw the 36-year-old Polish striker deliver a statement performance, extending his lead in the LaLiga scoring charts to 25 goals—three ahead of Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé.

“I know a lot of people talk about my age, but I work as hard as I did when I was 21 and I want to play for more seasons,” Lewandowski said after the match. “Physically, I’m feeling great, and my numbers prove it.”

Early Dominance and Controversial VAR Decision

Barcelona controlled possession from the outset, with Fermin López and Lewandowski testing Girona’s goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga early on. Jules Koundé thought he had given Barça the lead, only to be flagged offside.

The first-half drama peaked when López was fouled on the edge of the box. Initially awarded a free kick, Barcelona were left stunned as VAR overturned the decision in Girona’s favor, denying them a potential penalty.

Breakthrough and Girona’s Response

The breakthrough finally came just before halftime when 16-year-old Lamine Yamal’s free kick deflected off Ladislav Krejčí for an own goal, giving Barcelona a 1-0 lead.

However, Girona struck back early in the second half. A quick transition saw Dutch forward Arnaut Danjuma curl a stunning effort past Wojciech Szczęsny, momentarily silencing the home crowd.

Lewandowski Takes Charge

Barcelona responded just after the hour mark. López floated a precise header across the box, and Lewandowski capitalized with an acrobatic finish to restore the lead.

The veteran striker then doubled his tally in the 77th minute, finishing a counterattack after Frenkie de Jong set him up with a perfectly weighted pass.

Ferran Torres Adds the Final Touch

Substitute Ferran Torres put the game beyond doubt with a moment of brilliance, controlling a pass effortlessly before slotting home Barcelona’s fourth. Yamal nearly added a fifth, but his curling strike crashed off the crossbar.

Post-Match Reactions

Girona’s Danjuma acknowledged Barcelona’s quality but lamented his team’s missed opportunity.

“After I scored, I thought we could take something from the game, maybe put more pressure on them,” Danjuma admitted. “But then they got their second, they got their third… and it became very difficult.”

With this win, Barcelona remain firmly in the title race, sitting atop LaLiga with 66 points, keeping Real Madrid at bay with nine matches left in the season.

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