It was the Catalan derby of self-esteem. Of the ego. Of the fight for possession football. Of the Show. But above all it was the derby of Montilivi’s passion. And the simultaneous celebrations. That of Madrid, League champion thanks to the victory of Míchel’s team against Barça and that of Girona, which is now a full-fledged Champions team. The extra iron stands of the old municipal stadium almost fell with 14,000 voices shouting that theirs is now a Champions team. Girona scored five times between the three sticks. Four entered. They came back against Barça in just 10 minutes. Nobody knows where Míchel’s team will play at home in the top continental competition. Montilivi has outgrown the great Girona. But no one will forget that in this municipal stadium there is a team that has made history. That has raised a story that is now legendary: 17 games, 14 victories, 2 draws, only one defeat and it was against Real Madrid. That thanks to the victory of the people from Girona, against a good Barça, they are already League champions. There is little left for Xavi’s Barça, far from their sad culé goal. With Madrid champion, Barça closes a blank season. He does not even depend on himself to achieve a second place that would allow them to go to Arabia. That place, four games from the end, is also for Girona at the moment.
It was a crazy game. Of comings and goings. But Xavi and Míchel’s letters were revealed as soon as the match began. Míchel sat Yan Couto and opted for Tsygankov on the left wing. And Xavi, after the defeat that hurt so much in Montjuïc, recovered the scheme with four midfielders for the football revenge derby. The sacrificed was Raphinha, who remained on the bench. The rescued was Sergi Roberto, in the midst of negotiations for his continuity. In Barcelona it seems that time does not pass. For two years now, the news has been going on between the renewal of the now captain, the Libero lever and the signing of a pivot. Because the 3.5 million, the only amount that Barça allocated in the transfer market for Oriol Romeu, has not given the expected result. At the beginning, the one from Ulldecona stayed on the bench.
On the other hand, Christensen’s versatility has worked. In a Barça that was dominant against the lock of Míchel’s men, the now pivot thought and executed at the speed of light. Bringing out the most offensive version of him. Controlling with his chest a great pass from Lamine Yamal. Turning around and with a cross shot, the Dane beat Gazzaniga three minutes into the game. The domain belonged to Barça. Possession too. There was silence in Montilivi.
But it didn’t last long. Because Girona was not going to sit still. He gave up possession but not his strategy plays. Nor to Dovbyk’s nose. The top scorer of the League reached his twentieth goal by tying with a header after a play on the left wing by Iván Martín who, from the second line, beat Araújo and put the ball at the far post for the Ukrainian striker to equalize.
Xavi’s team did not collapse. Quite the opposite. Moving the ball fluidly, they responded with a powerful but poorly placed shot from outside the Gündogan area. Gazzaniga was there to intervene without problems. Fermín finished off another cross from Lamine Yamal from the second line. Sergi Roberto, well watched by Yangel Herrera, narrowly missed a shot after a great pass from Fermín. And, again, Gazzaniga protected the goal line well on another Gündogan corner kick. In 16 minutes there were already five dangerous arrivals by Barça, including the goal. Girona had only caused concern once. But with more success than the Blaugrana.
Barcelona continued moving the ball with fluidity and head. With Fermín exchanging positions with Cancelo on the left wing. And with both teams marking their opponents well. Cancelo had to deal with Eric Garcia, a Barcelona youth player who hopes to return next year. Koundé was in charge of Sávio’s attacks on the left wing. And Araújo marked Miguel Gutiérrez closely. The Uruguayan, confused in Dovbyk’s goal, had no problems clearing Miguel’s long-range shot. Although the Girona left-back, who was a real ordeal in the derby that was played in Montjuïc, seemed insecure. He dissolving at times like a sugar. He was obviously afraid because if he saw the yellow card he would not play the next game.
Girona began to show its head in the face of such Barça overwhelming. Resisting. Getting out of the pressure. They knew that if they succeeded, they would have many meters to run. The objective was none other than to find Dovbyk. He counterattacked with a rehearsed triangular play from Míche’s board: Savio, Dovbyk and Tsygankov. Between Fermín and Cubarsí they cleared the ball for a corner.
Then it was Savio who surpassed Koundé. Forced by circumstances, the Frenchman did not hesitate and stuck out his leg. The ball was picked up by Tsygankov, who shot from the penalty spot without much conviction because the referee provided the usual dose of surrealism, blew his whistle, blew a foul and showed Koundé the yellow card, invalidating a very clear goal-scoring action for Girona. Aleix Garcia’s shot passed without pain or glory.
Neither Míchel nor Xavi sat on the benches. Two hot-blooded technicians. The calmest was the Blaugrana coach. He wasn’t even excited when Hernández Hernández went to VAR to review a very clear tackle by Miguel on Lmaine Yamal on the goal line. After a few minutes of suspense in an upset Montilivi, the referee handed down the maximum penalty. Lewandowski transformed it. With his characteristic jump. With two somewhat maddening steps. In an unorthodox way and with his peculiar style, the Pole deceived Gazzaniga. With that advantage the game went to halftime. There were already 17 goals for the Pole. One of Bellingham’s 18 and three of Dovbyk’s 20.
The script changed in the second half. Barça is more comfortable. With Girona pressing up to prevent Barça’s progress. Both teams more broken, more exposed to the stopwatch and tired. Iván Martín was immediately noticed, that he did the most difficult thing well and failed the simplest thing. He unmarked himself, broke the offside, controlled and looked at Dovbyk who arrived alone. The center was too long. Barça responded with an innocent shot by Lamine Yamal. He could not overcome the pressure from David López and his left-footed shot came out weak and centered. The youth squad did not collapse. Gazzaniga had to intervene to cut off a pass that went straight to Lewandowski’s feet. Again Gazzaniga appeared to stop another arrival from Gündogan.
Then came Girona’s final blow. Míchel called Yan Couto and Portu. He took advantage of his dominance in the areas. Of his ability to resist. In two minutes he turned the game around. He wanted to be in the Champions League. And they do not lose a single opportunity due to any mistake from their rival. The first was by Sergi Roberto. As the sun set behind Ter Stegen’s goal, the Barça captain fell short with a back pass to Ter Stegen. Dovbyk intercepted it and gave it to Portu who made no mistake. A minute later it was Portu himself who took advantage of another unforgivable hole and assisted Miguel to make it 3-2. Montilivi exploded. And he didn’t sit down anymore. He didn’t give her time. The stands shook with euphoria, the stadium fell with Portu’s double. In just 10 minutes, Barça went from having won the game to seeing Girona send them to third place.
“To Europe, to the Champions League” shouted the 14,000 Girona fans. They are not tourists. They are followers who drew one wave after another. Waves that make all the sense in the world. Not like those of Montjuïc, invaded by tourism. Nothing was missing at the party. The Champions League anthem even played. A dress rehearsal for what awaits them next year.
