Girona made its strong case to be considered a genuine contender for the Spanish league title by beating Catalan rival Barcelona 4-2 and overtaking Real Madrid at the top of the standings.
Ukraine forwards Artem Dovbyk and Viktor Tsygankov teamed up for Girona’s opener, and Miguel Gutierrez, Valery Fernández and Cristhian Stuani scored a goal each to seal the away victory against the defending league champions. Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gundogan scored Barcelona’s goals.
The statement wins moved Girona two points ahead of Madrid, which drew 1-1 with Real Betis on Saturday. Barcelona dropped to fourth place, seven points behind its regional rival and five behind Madrid. Atletico Madrid regained third place with a 2-1 win over last-place Almeria to extend its winning streak at home in the league to 17 matches. Atletico has the same 34 points as Barcelona with a game in hand.
Barcelona had never lost in six matches against Girona in the league, with four wins and two draws.
“Girona deserves a lot of credit. It has a great team,” Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández said.
