Barcelona extended their unbeaten run to 20 games on Sunday with a 4-1 win over Girona, with Robert Lewandowski notching a brace as his side ensured they would stay atop La Liga’s table for another week.
It took time for Barcelona to break down Girona but they earned the result of their efforts with the game’s opening goal in the 43rd minute, which came courtesy of an own goal from Ladislav Krejci. Girona leveled the score early in the second half with a goal from Arnaut Danjuma in the 53rd minute, but Barcelona quickly quashed any hope that visitors may have had. Lewandowski scored just eight minutes after Danjuma did and then added a second goal in the 77th minute, while Ferran Torres finished things off with his second goal in three days.
Here are the biggest moments from the game.
Moment of the match
Even when the score was level, Barcelona were dominant from start to finish and Lewandowski’s second goal ensured the scoreline would resemble the underlying statistics. The play starts when Frenkie de Jong – who enjoyed an impressive appearance off the bench – won the ball very deep in Barcelona’s half and made a run all the way to the other end of the pitch. He then played a pass to Lewandowski as he made a run of his own into the penalty area, and after quickly gaining control of the ball, he smashed it into the back of the net with a powerful strike from a tough angle.
Man of the match
Lewandowski was as effective as it gets on Sunday, and his brace was only the start of the story. He took six shots and put four of them on target, generating 1.1 of Barcelona’s 2.6 total expected goals on his own. The performance was emblematic of Lewandowski’s uptick in form this season under Hansi Flick, his former manager at Bayern Munich.
What this result means for Barcelona
Barcelona stay atop La Liga for another week and still boast a three-point lead over second-place Real Madrid. They also have a nine-point lead over Atletico Madrid, who have dropped off considerably in the competitive title race after dropping points again in a 1-1 draw at Espanyol on Sunday.
What’s next
Barcelona will face Atletico Madrid in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals on Wednesday, hoping to gain the advantage after a dramatic 4-4 draw in the first leg in February. They resume La Liga play on Saturday against Real Betis before returning to UEFA Champions League action the following week in the first leg of their quarterfinal tie against Borussia Dortmund.
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