Barcelona suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at Girona in a fiery Catalan derby on Monday, slipping two points behind Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga.
Los Blancos had beaten Real Sociedad on Saturday to climb above the Catalans, and Hansi Flick’s side failed to respond in a gripping derby clash.
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Lamine Yamal missed a penalty for Barcelona, who had taken the lead through defender Pau Cubarsí just before the hour mark.
However, goals from Thomas Lemar and Fran Beltrán completed an impressive comeback for Girona, who climb to 12th.
“In the end, Girona deserved it, they had a lot of chances, and we defended very badly,” admitted Barcelona coach Hansi Flick.
“We are not in a good mood, not in a good moment. I gave the team two days off because I think it’s important they reset.
“There’s a long way to go. We’re now in second, and we have to fight for first place in the table.”
Barcelona were still reeling from a heavy 4-0 defeat by Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg last week, and this latest setback compounded their woes.
“We have to improve because they can’t score these two goals against us,” Cubarsí told DAZN.
“We have to be self-critical. We didn’t play a great game. Now we need to rest and recharge our batteries.”
The defeat caps a miserable week for Barcelona, following their 4-0 thrashing by Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey. Flick’s side now risks falling five points behind if Real Madrid beat Osasuna on Saturday before Barcelona play Levante on Sunday.
