Girona shock Barca; emerge title contenders

Barca boss Xavi

Girona made its strong case to be considered a genuine contender for the Spanish league title by beating Catalan rival Barcelona 4-2 and overtaking Real Madrid at the top of the standings.

Ukraine forwards Artem Dovbyk and Viktor Tsygankov teamed up for Girona's opener, and Miguel Gutierrez, Valery Fernandez and Cristhian Stuani scored a goal each to seal the away victory against the defending league champions. Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gundogan scored Barcelona's goals. The statement win moved Girona two points ahead of Madrid, which drew 1-1 with Real Betis on Saturday.

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Barcelona dropped to fourth place, seven points behind its regional rival and five behind Madrid. Barcelona had never lost in six matches against Girona in the league, with four wins and two draws. "Girona deserves a lot of credit. It has a great team. It was an even match, it could have gone either way. It also would have been a fair result if we had won it," Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez said.

Girona, partly owned by Manchester City's Abu Dhabi ownership, never looked like the minnow club against Barcelona on Sunday, showing maturity and poise from the start. The team coached by Michel Sanchez has been holding on to its position near the top from the start of the season.

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