Superb Girona stun champions Barca to lead La Liga

BARCELONA: Shock Spanish title contenders Girona earned a historic 4-2 win over rivals Barcelona on Sunday to move top of La Liga, with coach Michel saying he believes his team can beat any opponent.

Girona defeated their Catalan rivals for the first time ever in the top flight in a pulsating battle to rise two points above Real Madrid, second, after their 1-1 draw at Real Betis on Saturday.

Champions Barcelona are fourth after Atletico Madrid, third, beat Almeria earlier on, and Xavi´s side trail Girona by seven points.

Artem Dovbyk sent Girona ahead and after Robert Lewandowski pulled Barcelona level, Miguel Gutierrez slammed home again for the visitors. Valery Fernandez extended Girona´s lead with 10 minutes remaining, before Ilkay Gundogan netted to set up a frantic finale.

Veteran striker Cristhian Stuani struck from close range in stoppage time to wrap up a stunning victory which reaffirms the minnows´ title dream. “We´re enjoying the moment, we´re in a hugely positive dynamic,” Michel told reporters.

“I don´t know if we have the ability to win La Liga, but we are able to beat any opponent.” Defeat leaves Barcelona´s title defence badly dented. “They deserved it, they´ve got a lot of merit, they´re seven points ahead of us,” Xavi told DAZN.

“We want to cut down the gap, this is our reality -- this is a Barca under construction, although they have criticised me for (saying) it.

“You take one step back to be able to take two steps forwards.” Girona, part-owned by the City Football Group, were without injured key midfielder Yangel Herrera, whom they signed from Manchester City, but did not let it set them back.

In La Liga for only the fourth season in their history, they played without any fear of their more illustrious neighbours and took the lead early on as the game see-sawed deliciously from end to end.

The visitors split the 27-time champions open with a lethal counter-attack, with Ukrainian winger Viktor Tsygankov feeding his compatriot Dovbyk to slam home in the 12th minute.

Unperturbed, Barcelona levelled quickly through Lewandowski, with the 35-year-old heading home Raphinha´s corner to end a run of three matches without a goal.

Former Real Madrid left-back Gutierrez, no stranger to an adventure upfield, drove into the box and cracked an early strike into the near top corner five minutes before the break. Barcelona tried to force their way back in, with Paulo Gazzaniga saving Frenkie de Jong´s low effort and Raphinha sending a free-kick over the bar.