Ronald Araújo struck deep into stoppage time to hand Barcelona a dramatic 2-1 victory over Girona on Saturday, propelling the defending champions back to the top of La Liga.
The Uruguayan defender, thrown forward by manager Hansi Flick in the closing minutes, converted Frenkie de Jong’s cross in the 93rd minute to seal all three points and lift Barça one point ahead of Real Madrid, who face Getafe on Sunday.
Pedri Opens the Scoring Before Witsel’s Equalizer
Barcelona took an early lead through Pedri González in the 13th minute after a clever combination between Jules Koundé and Lamine Yamal. The teenager set up Pedri, who coolly slotted the ball into the bottom corner to give the hosts a confident start at the Olympic Stadium.
Girona, however, found a quick response. Axel Witsel produced a stunning overhead kick in the 20th minute to level the game, silencing the home crowd and injecting belief into the visitors, who currently sit in the bottom half of the table after a poor run of form.
Barcelona Miss Chances Before Araújo’s Late Heroics
Despite dominating possession, Barcelona struggled to finish off their chances. Substitute Fermín López came close, while Paulo Gazzaniga denied several efforts as Girona’s defense held firm.
With injuries ruling out Robert Lewandowski and others, Flick handed a league debut to 17-year-old Toni Fernández and later introduced Araújo as an emergency striker in the final minutes. The tactical gamble paid off when the centre-back latched onto De Jong’s delivery and powered home a decisive header in stoppage time.
Araújo ripped off his shirt in celebration as Barça players mobbed him, knowing the goal could prove crucial in the title race.
Post-Match Reactions
“Sometimes you have to win games like this,” Fermín López told DAZN after the match. “We missed a lot of chances, but we fought until the end and deserved the win.”
Girona’s goalscorer Witsel expressed disappointment but praised his team’s performance: “It’s hard mentally to let in a goal like that, but we played well in the first half. We just needed to finish our chances.”
What’s Next
Barcelona return to action on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League against Olympiakos, before preparing for next weekend’s El Clásico showdown against Real Madrid.
