Real crowned champions as Girona come from behind to stun Barca in six-goal thriller

A remarkable second-half performance from Portu led Girona to a victory over Barcelona, which confirmed Real Madrid as La Liga champions for the 36th time.

Girona themselves rubber-stamped their place in next season’s UEFA Champions League and move ahead of Barcelona in second place, mostly thanks to the impact of substitute Portu who came on with his side 2-1 down.

With his first touch, he side-footed home after first-half goalscorer Artem Dovbyk squared the ball to him unselfishly, and two minutes later he ran into the area and squared to Miguel Guiterrez whose deflected effort gave the hosts the lead.

Then, he struck one of the goals of the season when he drove a cross-field pass unstoppably past Marc-Andre ter Stegen on the volley from the edge of the area.

Prior to his arrival, it seemed that the goals at the start and end of the first half from Andreas Christensen and Robert Lewandowski’s penalty would give Barcelona victory and keep the title race theoretically alive.

With the win, Girona move a point clear of Barcelona with four games remaining. Real are 13 points clear at the summit.

With them unable to keep up their title challenge in the second half of the campaign, it is easy to forget what a remarkable achievement it has been for Girona to qualify for next year’s Champions League.

When Miguel talked up this as their only priority before the start of the match it was difficult to be convinced given the formality of them lying 10 points clear of fifth-place Athletic Bilbao with four games remaining, regardless of this result.

There play this season deserved them to secure this feat with a flourish and how they did so in the second half.

While Portu’s introduction was the key moment of the game, Savio was an exhilerating presence throughout and Pichichi-elect Artem Dovbyk a classy spearhead up front.

Both deserve to be playing the Champions League and hopefully now Girona can keep hold of them.

The quality of their play has been a thrilling addition to the la Liga this season and it is fitting they sealed a place in European’s elite competition in such a manner.

Before his intgroduction, a Barcelona third goal seemed moments away. Girona’s defensive structure seemed to have broken down and Lamine Yamal on numerous occasions failed to take advantage of the freedoms on the right flank to create a killer strike. Then Portu came on. Sergi Roberto’s awful backpass was the catalyst but the substitute was in position to support his centre forward and ensure an easy goal. His burst and assist for the second was even better and then his sealing strike was a volley worth comparison with Paolo Di Canio’s for West Ham against Wimbledon. He had one more golden moment late in the game when he got to the by-line and, at full speed, somehow backheeled for Dovbyk whose effort was cleared off the line.

Girona: Gazzaniga 7; Eric Garcia 6, David Lopez 6, Blind 6, Miguel Gutierrez 7; Aleix Garcia 6, Herrera 6, Ivan Martín 7, Tsygankov 7, Savio 9, Dovbyk 8.

Subs: Couto 6, Portu 10*, Fernandez 7.

Barcelona: Ter Stegen 7; Kounde 7, Araujo 6, Pau Cubarsi 6, Cancelo 6; Christensen 7, Sergi Roberto 6, Gundogan 7, Fermin 7; Yamal 7, Lewandowski 6.

Subs: Raphinia 6, Pedrio 6, Romeu 6, Torres 6, Joao Felix 6.

3′ GOAL! GIRONA 0-1 BARCELONA (CHRISTENSEN)! He was found in space by Lamine’s clipped ball on the edge of the box and the Dane took the ball down on his chest before volleying home low to the goalkeeper’s right.

4′ GOAL! GIRONA (DOVBYK) 1-1 BARCELONA! What a start! Straight from the kick off the ball is taken down the left wing, then Martin is played behind the defence on the left flank and he delivers a perfect cross for la Liga’s top scorer to head home.

43′ SERGI ROBERTO IS BOOKED! He is reprimanded for arguing that Lamine was brought down in the box. And it seems he was by Miguel.

45′ PENALTY FOR BARCELONA!

45+1′ GOAL! GIRONA 1-2 BARCELONA (LEWANDOWSKI)! The Pole makes no mistake with his usual stutter-step penalty, sending the keeper the wrong way.

65′ GOAL! GIRONA (PORTU) 2-2 BARCELONA! An awful backpass from Sergi Roberto puts Dovbyk through on goal and he unselfishly squares for Portu to score with his first tuch.

67′ GOAL! GIRONA (GUTIERREZ) 3-2 BARCELONA! Portu this time creates the goal he races down the right flank and squares to Gutierrez whose effort is deflected off Cancelo and Kounde before going into the net.

75′GOAL! GIRONA (PORTU) 4-2 BARCELONA! A ridiculous first-time volley from Portu taking a cross-field ball on the volley and curving his effort inside the far post.

90+2′ REMARKABLE FROM PORTU! He raced down the right flank and backheeled the ball from the byline to Dovbyk who was denied another goal by Kounde on the line.

• 100 – This was Portu’s 100th appearance for Girona. It is hard to believe he will ever have a more memorable one.