This season, La Liga has ushered in a new force - the rise of Girona team has rocked the football world. With their tenacious performances, this impressive dark horse team has gone toe-to-toe with giants Real Madrid after the first fifteen rounds of the league, upsetting the pattern of the triumph that has been formed in La Liga for many years. In the sixteenth round of league games, Real Madrid drew away to Real Betis, thus giving Girona a good chance to reach the top. However, Girona will face a crucial clash with Barcelona, who had just beaten Atletico Madrid in the last round and are in high spirits.
The match was played at the Camp Nou in Barcelona, where more than 40,000 fans witnessed the action. Despite the enthusiastic support of the fans, Barcelona were unable to win. Girona showed their quality with a 4-2 scoreline, overcoming the Camp Nou defence. Barcelona coach Xavi was prepared and he put out the best team. The main goalkeeper Peña guarded the goal, and Joao Cancelo, Jules Kounde, Christensen and Araujo formed the defence.
The midfield was led by Pedri, Gundogan and Frenkie de Jong, with Robert Lewandowski in the centre of the attack, and Felix and Raphinha on the flanks to provide the impetus for the team's attack. Despite this, Girona showed their fighting spirit not to lose to Barcelona, taking the initiative to attack from the start, and in the 12th minute Dovbik seized the opportunity to score. While Lewandowski's 19th-minute header pulled one back for Barcelona, Gutiérrez gave Girona the lead again in the 40th minute. In the second half, Barcelona tried to counter-attack, but their attempts failed to change the situation.
For the home team Barcelona, even if Gundogan once gave hope of chasing points in the final stages of the game; But Girona's Stuani sealed the win with a volley. In the end, Girona's victory at Camp Nou saw them leapfrog Real Madrid by two points and climb to the top of the table. Dovbik, who scored the opening goal of the game, was also a key contributor to his eight goals and four assists in La Liga this season, and the Ukrainian striker's combined involvement in goals was second only to the priceless Bellingham in Girona's squad, making him famous on the La Liga stage.
Girona, the dark horse of La Liga, is no longer content to just challenge the traditional powerhouses, they are aiming for bigger dreams.