Wasteful Barcelona must take accountability to get out of their current funk

"The word of the day in Barcelona is frustration. This Girona game should have been put away in the first half, but that of course assumes Barcelona is able to put away their chances. Lamine Yamal alone missed three point blank opportunities in the opening 45 minutes, one of which was a penalty. When Barcelona finally took the lead behind a redemptive goal from Pau Cubarsí, Girona pulled one back within minutes."

"And again, because of course there was, we had referee controversy. Jules Kounde lay on the floor at the top of the penalty area after being stomped on, and watched as Fran Beltrán slotted home the game winning goal. No whistle from the referee, and no VAR intervention. This team can't buy a break at the moment. Hansi Flick will leave the game feeling a sense of consternation."

"His tactics continue to produce so much offense, 26 shots on the night against their Catalan rivals, and yet Barcelona are not in control of games. In fact, Girona had the better chances on the night and should have scored more. In the end, they had nine shots on target, compared to just four for Barcelona. Luckily, the Blaugrana will get a midweek break since they don't have to play in the Champions League knockout playoff round."

Barcelona struggled to convert many clear opportunities, with Lamine Yamal missing three point-blank chances in the first half, including a penalty. Pau Cubarsí briefly gave Barcelona the lead before Girona equalized shortly after. A contentious referee moment followed when Jules Kounde was stomped on and play continued for Fran Beltrán to score, with no whistle or VAR intervention. Barcelona registered 26 shots but only four on target, while Girona had nine on target. The squad needs physical and mental rest, improved finishing, and returning players such as Raphinha, Pedri, Marcus Rashford, and Gavi to regain momentum.

Read at Barca Blaugranes