Match ends, Barcelona 2, Girona 2.
24 Sep 2018
Pique rescues point for 10-man Barcelona
Gerard Pique rescued 10-man Barcelona in a pulsating Catalan derby against Girona after Clement Lenglet was shown a red card at the Nou Camp.
Barca were leading 1-0 when defender Lenglet was dismissed in the 35th minute for elbowing Pere Pons.
Girona levelled through Cristhian Stuani before the Uruguay forward rifled the visitors into the lead.
Despite playing with 10 men, Barca carved out the better chances and Pique headed the equaliser.
The Spanish champions lead La Liga on goal difference from Real Madrid, who beat Espanyol 1-0 on Saturday.
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Lenglet dismissal costly for Barca
Ernesto Valverde's team were the last side in La Liga with a 100% winning record after taking 12 points from their opening four domestic games.
They beat Girona 6-1 in the corresponding fixture last season and were expected to maintain their winning start to the campaign.
However, the dismissal of Lenglet swung the match in Girona's favour.
The French defender, who was making his first league start for the club after joining from Sevilla, raised his elbow at Pons.
The referee left the pitch to view the replay of the incident on a screen before returning to show a red card.
Barca, who face struggling Leganes on Wednesday, continued to dominate possession and this will feel like two points dropped despite playing more than half the game with 10 men.
Girona impress at the Nou Camp
This is a result which Girona fans will remember for years to come.
As recently as 2007 they were playing in the fourth tier of Spanish football.
There will be disappointment they did not hold on to their lead with an extra man advantage but they survived as Barcelona bombarded their penalty area in the closing stages in search of a winner.
Girona included two players on loan from Manchester City - Spanish midfielder Aleix Garcia started while young Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz came on as a substitute.
English forward Patrick Roberts, who is also on loan from City, was an unused substitute.
- Line-ups
- Match Stats
- Live Text
Line-ups
Barcelona
- 1ter Stegen
- 2Cabral SemedoBooked at 12mins
- 3PiquéBooked at 81mins
- 15LengletBooked at 35mins
- 18Alba
- 22VidalSubstituted forRakiticat 58'minutes
- 5Busquets
- 8Ramos de Oliveira MeloBooked at 15minsSubstituted forCoutinhoat 58'minutes
- 10Messi
- 9Suárez
- 11DembéléSubstituted forUmtitiat 45'minutes
Substitutes
- 4Rakitic
- 6D Suárez
- 7Coutinho
- 13Cillessen
- 19El Haddadi
- 20Roberto
- 23Umtiti
Girona
- 13Bono
- 11Benítez
- 5AlcaláBooked at 68mins
- 2BernardoBooked at 39mins
- 15Ramírez LópezBooked at 61mins
- 20Muniesa
- 6Granell NoguéSubstituted forSoares de Pauloat 72'minutes
- 8Pons
- 23GarcíaSubstituted forGarcíaat 45'minutes
- 9Portugués ManzaneraBooked at 69minsSubstituted forDoumbiaat 85'minutes
- 7StuaniBooked at 16mins
Substitutes
- 1Iraizoz
- 10García
- 12Soares de Paulo
- 17Roberts
- 22Doumbia
- 28Montes
- 29Porro
- Referee:
- Jesús Gil Manzano
- Attendance:
- 76,055
Match Stats
Home TeamBarcelonaAway TeamGirona
- Possession
- Home67%
- Away33%
- Shots
- Home22
- Away7
- Shots on Target
- Home11
- Away6
- Corners
- Home8
- Away2
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away16
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Barcelona 2, Girona 2.
Nélson Semedo (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Borja García (Girona).
Attempt missed. Coutinho (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Lionel Messi.
Foul by Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona).
Cristhian Stuani (Girona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Coutinho (Barcelona) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Seydou Doumbia (Girona).
Substitution
Substitution, Girona. Seydou Doumbia replaces Portu.
Foul by Luis Suárez (Barcelona).
Douglas Luiz (Girona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Coutinho (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Jordi Alba.
Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Marc Muniesa (Girona).
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Aday Benítez.
Booking
Gerard Piqué (Barcelona) is shown the yellow card.
Foul by Gerard Piqué (Barcelona).
Pedro Alcalá (Girona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Pedro Alcalá.
Attempt blocked. Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Gerard Piqué with a headed pass.
Corner, Barcelona. Conceded by Bernardo Espinosa.
Attempt blocked. Luis Suárez (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Coutinho.
Foul by Sergio Busquets (Barcelona).
Douglas Luiz (Girona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt blocked. Coutinho (Barcelona) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Lionel Messi.
Luis Suárez (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Bernardo Espinosa (Girona).
Substitution
Substitution, Girona. Douglas Luiz replaces Álex Granell.
Attempt saved. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Booking
Portu (Girona) is shown the yellow card.
Booking
Pedro Alcalá (Girona) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Lionel Messi (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Pedro Alcalá (Girona).
Coutinho (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Álex Granell (Girona).
Attempt blocked. Coutinho (Barcelona) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lionel Messi.
Coutinho (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Álex Granell (Girona).
Sergio Busquets (Barcelona) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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