Barça's desire to conquer the world sinks Girona

BarcelonaThe wind is blowing, filling the sails of Barça, a young, brave, and inspiring team that blindly believes in its abilities. When Lamine Yamal comes out to play, it doesn't occur to him that they might lose. Girona, on the other hand, comes out a little scared, aware that the same wind that's been rapidly pushing Barça upwards is pushing them dangerously towards the bottom of the table. It's strange to think that less than a year ago, Girona was capable of thrashing Barça both at Montilivi and at the Estadi Olímpic. These seem like memories from decades ago, from a distant era. And not so long ago, in fact. This Sunday, the derby was a dismal 4-1 victory.

That's life. You have to celebrate and enjoy the good times always, because you never know when they'll end. Barça beat Girona, far superior in the game, despite the scare of Danjouma's second-half goal. Míchel's men may have lost their zest, but not their will to fight. But it always seemed as if Gazzaniga, quite accurate, was playing with the sword of Damocles hanging over his head. That it was only a matter of time before another Blaugrana goal came. They conceded four in the end.

If Barça was struggling last season, this year they're a team that wastes no time looking for excuses, whether it's injuries, a schedule designed by their worst enemy, or strange refereeing decisions. Once the ball is rolling, they only think about scoring as many goals as possible. Flick's team already demonstrated that against Osasuna in that shoehorned-in midweek game, and they did the same against a Girona side that was too weak in the first half. The Girona team, looking in the mirror and no longer finding the group that was one of the most entertaining on the continent last season, tried to rebel against destiny, but without luck. The fate of the match was already written from the start. Barça was far superior and was ready to once again distance itself from Real Madrid in the standings by adding three points to its cushion. In a league that until recently was a three-way affair, Atlético de Madrid is now falling behind. It's now a two-way affair, and the one in charge right now is Barça, which always conveys joy in the game, especially thanks to Lamine Yamal and Pedri.

But there are differences between the two players. Lamine, younger, always seems to play for fun, as if he were a juggler. As if he were a child accepting challenges from friends to perform impossible moves. His game is hypnotic, distinct. Concentrated voices of bearded adults seeming to suffer on the pitch, not far from the spectacle of a boy born to shine. Pedri, on the other hand, has already had his share of life. Injuries and disappointments. The Canary Islander has made the stadium sing his name with the same resounding enthusiasm as Messi and Xavi. And like them, he's becoming a leader: he moves the team and helps when it comes to defending. He's a mature footballer now. Flick had rested Cubarsí, Balde, De Jong, and Raphinha, still a little out of sorts after the slap on the wrist he took to Buenos Aires with the Brazilian national team. Several changes, but it didn't make any difference. Barcelona fans thought the first goal would come from a possible penalty on Fermín, but after consulting VAR, Pulido Santana ruled Girona right. For Míchel's team, Asprilla was a lost shadow, and on the only clear chance, even at 0-0, Tsygankov missed the target. A year ago, these shots went in. And now they go in for Barça on the rebound, just like the first goal of the match. Just before halftime, Lamine took a free kick from the wing and the ball was deflected into the back of his own net by Krejcí.

In the second half, Girona reacted and brought excitement to this new derby, but now with a certain rivalry. Danjouma, whom people had forgotten was still playing, took advantage of a recovery by former Barça player Arthur Melo to equalize. But the joy was short-lived for a rather defensive Girona side. Fermin, a stalwart, won the ball and Lewandowski put his foot in who knows how and scored a key goal for the team and also individually, to remain ahead of Mbappé in the top scorer rankings.

Despite the enthusiasm of Portu and Stuani, the old Girona rockers who came on in the second half, the game seemed decided. Flick brought on De Jong and Ferran to raise the level of a derby that Lewandowski sealed with a second goal when Girona was already giving away too much space. If Mbappé had scored two goals against Leganés, the Pole returned the blow by punishing a Girona side that has only won one of its last twelve matches. Barça, on the other hand, hasn't tasted defeat in 2025, and Ferran had time to complete the rout with a fourth goal. After making it clear who's in charge in La Liga, he's now ready to try to qualify for the Copa del Rey final with the second leg of the semifinal against Atlético Madrid. The challenges never end, but neither does the desire to devour this team's world.