In desperate need of a win after a brutal loss and to recapture the La Liga lead, Barcelona failed to deliver on Monday night, falling 2–1 against Girona.
A number of clear, wasted chances in the first half proved incredibly costly, as Pau Cubarsí’s second-half opener was quickly erased by Thomas Lemar’s equalizer.
Both teams pushed forward in the dying minutes, but Barcelona failed to produce a winning moment. Instead, it was Girona who pounced inside the final 10 minutes when Fran Beltrán found the bottom corner to complete the comeback for the hosts.
Following the dreadful defeat against Atlético Madrid last time out, the Catalans failed to respond accordingly. In a nightmare five days, Barcelona have all but seen their Copa del Rey title defense come to an end and now sit two points back of rivals Real Madrid in the La Liga title race.
The New Problem That Won’t Go Away
As evident as Barcelona’s defensive woes have been all season, they’ve recently masked another problem that grows more noticeable by the game: Flick’s side waste an alarming number of chances.
In their last five games, Barcelona have converted nine goals from a staggering 112 shots. Flick’s side continue to be prolific at creating chances and getting shots off, but more often than not it lacks the quality needed to find the back of the net.
Against Girona, Barcelona could’ve easily had the three points secured by halftime, but they tirelessly wasted chances in the first half and, instead of putting the game on ice, they now make the short trip back home licking their wounds after another disappointing loss.
Barcelona underperforming their xG has become the norm rather than the exception. In their previously lone league defeat in 2026 against Real Sociedad, Barcelona wasted seven clear chances.
Given the state of their defense, Barcelona’s only hope to win many games is to outscore opponents. Their talented attack will likely continue to create chances for fun, but it’s imperative the Catalans’ attack rediscover their finishing boots to fix the suddenly misfiring front line ... or any hope of silverware will become moot.
Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Girona (4-3-3)
GK: Joan García—8.4: A much needed confidence-boosting performance from García, who had looked woeful as of late. Was brilliant as a sweeper and had a couple of sensational close-range saves, but he was powerless to save the pair of Girona goals.
RB: Jules Koundé—7.6: Aside from a couple of actions where he failed to track his runner on the wing, it was a solid evening for the Frenchman, who assisted Cubarsí’s goal.
CB: Pau Cubarsí—7.9: That’s more like it from the teenager, who pounced at loose balls and generated a number of turnovers with timely interceptions and clean tackles. Nice finish for his first goal of the term.
CB: Eric García—6.6: Struggled at times to deploy the highline and got booked for a clumsy challenge. He then failed to properly mark Lemar in Girona’s equalizer.
LB: Gerard Martín—6.7: Although he doesn’t offer a considerable attacking threat, Martín completely nullified Viktor Tsygankov and had a stellar last-ditch interception on a cross that could’ve easily resulted in Girona’s opener.
CM: Fermín López—6.7: A non-factor all night. Fermín failed to have any influence on the game, struggling to get involved in Barcelona’s attacks.
CM: Frenkie de Jong—7.0: Like against Atlético Madrid, the Dutchman struggled to defend quick transitions, leaving the midfield uncovered a handful of times. On the ball, though, he was characteristically stellar.
AM: Dani Olmo—7.5: Another classy performance from Olmo, who quarterbacked attacks from deep while also dangerously box-crashing routinely, leading to him winning a penalty Yamal couldn’t convert.
RW: Lamine Yamal—7.7: Looked overconfident and careless on multiple occasions, wasting chances—including a penalty—and misplacing simple passes. A performance that will undoubtedly frustrate his manager.
ST: Ferran Torres—6.2: Tirelessly made runs into the box but often never got the ball. Whenever he did get the chance to make his presence felt, he lacked poise in his finishing.
LW: Raphinha—7.2: Back from injury, Raphinha showcased exactly what Barcelona sorely missed in his absence. His work rate off the ball was top-notch and he led the team with four chances created. Will be frustrated after the woodwork denied him a goal.
SUB: Alejandro Balde (63’ for Martín)—6.0: An shy cameo from the left back.
SUB: Roony Bardghji (63’ for Raphinha)—6.2: Had a couple of chances to put Barça in front but failed to come up clutch.
SUB: Ronald Araújo (73’ for García)—6.0: Entered the game as a center back but ended it as a center forward, but he wasn’t able to repeat as a hero like he did in the reverse fixture.
SUB: Robert Lewandowski (73’ for Torres)—6.2: Was erratic since coming on and was offside in the action of what seemed like Barça’s equalizer that was rightfully disallowed.
SUB: Marc Bernal (80’ for Olmo)—6.4:Recovered plenty of balls inside Girona’s halfway line since coming on, but Barça failed to make something happen afterwards.
Subs not used: Diego Kochen (GK), Wojciech Szczęsny (GK), João Cancelo, Marc Bernal, Marc Casadó, Tommy Marques,
What the Ratings Tell Us
- Flick has rolled with the hot hand as his starting striker all season, but suddenly, both Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski are out of form and Barça’s attack has looked worse as a result. The pair are rarely involved in possession and have recently lacked sharpness in front of goal. A striker remains a position needed to be addressed in the summer.
- Fermín López started the year on an absolute tear, but his level has dropped significantly as of late. He has just one goal involvement in the last five games and, with Dani Olmo looking spry, he might see his minutes take a hit once Pedri returns from injury.
- The Eric García honeymoon period is over, as he’s been somewhat exposed over the last two games. He was directly responsible for playing a runner onside for Girona’s equalizer and he was constantly out of position when he needed to intervene. The fact García has played in every Barça game this season highlights the team’s defensive level, but Ronald Araújo could begin to chip away at his minutes.
- Flick doesn’t trust winter signing João Cancelo, as he would rather utilize Gerard Martín—who was far from impressive—as Balde’s backup alternative.
The Numbers That Explain Barcelona’s Deserved Defeat
- Barcelona could only muster four shots on target from 27 total attempts, with a number of those off-target strikes coming from close range. They can’t expect to win games like that.
- Barcelona produced less then 1.00 xG in the second half after entering the break with 2.04 xG. The number of missed opportunities in the first half ended up being the difference in the game.
- Although Flick’s side dominated possession, Girona had five big chances to Barça’s three, showcasing once again just how easy it is to harm Barcelona’s defensive unit—and that Monday’s defeat wasn’t a fluke.
| Statistic | Girona | Barcelona |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 29% | 71% |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 2.76 | 2.93 |
| Total Shots | 13 | 27 |
| Shots on Target | 9 | 4 |
| Big Chances | 5 | 3 |
| Passing Accuracy | 77% | 90% |
| Fouls Committed | 10 | 6 |
| Corners | 3 | 7 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Girona: Unimpressive Barca Relinquish La Liga Top Spot.
