Girona have gone back to the top of\u00a0La Liga\u00a0thanks to a famous 4-2 win over Barcelona at Estadi Lluis Companys.<\/strong><\/p>\n The City Group-owned club moved two points clear of Real Madrid and a whopping seven clear of Barcelona \u2013 who drop down to fourth following the defeat \u2013 thanks to goals from Artem Dovbyk, Miguel Gutierrez, Valery Fernandez and Cristhian Stuani.<\/p>\n Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gundogan got the consolation goals on what was an abysmal night for\u00a0Xavi Hernandez\u2019s side.<\/p>\n After a frantic opening ten minutes in which both sides showed a capacity to hurt their opposition, it was shockingly Girona who\u2019d draw first blood.<\/p>\n The goal would come courtesy of the La Liga high-flyer\u2019s star Ukrainian duo Viktor Tsygankov and Artem Dovbyk, with the former bursting in behind a porous Barca defence before squaring to Dovbyk, who made no mistake with his subsequent effort on goal \u2013 coolly side-footing off the post and into the back of the net.<\/p>\n Barca came close to restoring parity soon after when Raphinha stole in at the back post to latch onto a wonderful curling cross from Joao Cancelo. However, ex-Tottenham goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga was in the right place at the right time to smother the Brazilian\u2019s half-volleyed effort.<\/p>\n The home side weren\u2019t made to rue that missed chance for too long, as two minutes later Robert Lewandowski made it 1-1.<\/p>\n The Polish international rose highest from a Raphinha corner kick to nod home his first goal since November and get his side back in the contest.<\/p>\n Not to be deterred by losing their lead in the game, Girona continued to cause Barca\u2019s backline problems throughout the remainder of the first half. The best chances the visitors would create in that period would all fall to Miguel Gutierrez. The first would come after Gutierrez burst down the left flank and drifted infield past Ronald Araujo, before curling an effort from the left hand side of the post spin narrowly wide of the far post.<\/p>\n His second chance would end in similar circumstances, with the 22-year-old firing narrowly wide of the post from around the penalty spot after being found cleverly by Savio.<\/p>\n At the third time of asking, in the 40th minute, the flying wing-back would finally get his goal. After once again drifting in from the flank, Gutierrez slipped past Jules Kounde and fired superbly into the top left corner of the net to make it 2-1.<\/p>\n Barca began to assert their dominance territorially at the start of the second half, but didn\u2019t really cause Girona\u2019s backline too many problems until Xavi Hernandez introduced Ferran Torres, Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde with 25 minutes of the game remaining.<\/p>\n It would be the latter who\u2019d create the first meaningful chance of the half for the home side, with Ferran Torres cleverly squaring to Ilkay Gundogan inside of the box before watching his teammate drill the ball narrowly wide of the far post.<\/p>\n That missed proved costly for Barcelona as, instead of drawing level at 2-2, soon after it was 3-1 to Girona. Substitute Cristhian Stuani made the most of a route one ball up into the Barca box to nod into the path of fellow substitute Valery Fernandez, who then brilliantly side-footed into the bottom right corner of the net.<\/p>\n Barcelona did manage to make the final few minutes rather nervy for Girona thanks to a goal from Gundogan. The ex-Man City man\u2019s swivelling volley from the edge of the six yard box was well taken, but ultimately didn\u2019t make much of a difference in the game as, three minutes later, Girona went back up the other end to make it 4-2.<\/p>\n Girona\u2019s fourth of the game would come, once again, courtesy of A lofted ball over the top which Barca simply didn\u2019t deal with. This time that ball was into the path of Savio who, after racing into the box, chipped into the path of Stauni at the back post. The towering striker was then able to slot into the net from point blank range.<\/p>\n Gundogan played well despite the defeat \/ David Ramos\/GettyImages<\/p>\n GK: Inaki Pena \u2013 5\/10 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Beaten four times, but truthfully couldn\u2019t do much about any of the goals.<\/p>\n RB: Jules Kounde \u2013 2\/10 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Girona exploited his side of the pitch in the first half. He couldn\u2019t cope with Gutierrez at all.<\/p>\n CB: Ronald Araujo \u2013 2\/10 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Struggled to deal with Girona\u2019s physicality up top.<\/p>\n CB: Andreas Christensen \u2013 3\/10 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Caught out with a ball in behind in the lead up to Girona\u2019s opener.<\/p>\n LB: Joao Cancelo \u2013 4\/10 \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>Got forward well but left too much space in behind when doing so.<\/p>\n CM: Ilkay Gundogan \u2013 7\/10 \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>Played a bit further forward than usual in the second half and looked infinitely more effective than he has done previously in a Barca shirt. Scored a lovely goal late on.<\/p>\n CM: Frenkie de Jong \u2013 5\/10 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Didn\u2019t do much wrong on the ball, completing 91% of his passes, but didn\u2019t do enough to screen his backline on the day.<\/p>\n CM: Pedri \u2013 5\/10 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0The midfielder didn\u2019t really make an impact on the game.<\/p>\n RW: Raphinha \u2013 5\/10 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0A few too many heavy touches when he had the chance to burst through on goal after being played the ball. Bagged an assist, but should\u2019ve done so much more.<\/p>\n ST: Robert Lewandowski \u2013 6\/10 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Finally. Lewa scored his first La Liga goal since early November on Sunday. It was a nice header too.<\/p>\n LW: Joao Felix \u2013 4\/10 \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>Flattered to deceive after a game-winning performance last week against Atletico Madrid.<\/p>\n SUB: Ferran Torres (65\u2032 for Joao Felix) \u2013 6\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n SUB: Alejandro Balde (65\u2032 for Andreas Christensen) \u2013 5\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n SUB: Lamine Yamal (65\u2032 for Raphinha) \u2013 5\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n SUB: Fermin Lopez (80\u2032 for Pedri) \u2013 5\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n Manager \u2013 Xavi Hernandez \u2013 2\/10 \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>Completely out-thought by Girona manager Michel, the Barca boss simply didn\u2019t have an answer for anything the opposition threw at his side on Sunday night.<\/p>\n
\nHow the game unfolded<\/h3>\n
\nBarcelona player ratings (4-3-3)<\/h2>\n
![\"Ilkay](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/01hhaw9qdm58cjt558qp.jpg\" "\\"Ilkay")
<\/figure>\n
\nSubstitutes<\/h3>\n
\n
\nMan of the match: Miguel Gutierrez (Girona)<\/h3>\n