Girona FC also won in Barcelona and regained the lead in the table. Coach Michel is slowly starting to dream of more
Surprise teams often run out of steam halfway through, and even more often they are brought back down to earth, at least in a showdown with the established title contenders. Neither is the case for FC Girona, who won 4:2 at FC Barcelona on Sunday evening. A convincing win.
The little Catalans have now become the big Catalans, it’s getting scary. Because Real Madrid had dropped two points the day before, Girona are (once again) top of La Liga after 16 matchdays. Coach Michel “doesn’t know if we are in a position to win the championship”, admitted the 48-year-old coach of the Sky Strikers. He is torn.
After his team had also gained the upper hand against Barça through courageous combinations to free themselves from their own penalty area and well thought-out direct play forwards – and how cool were the visitors when it came to finishing – Michel wavered between humility and dreaming.
Only Real were more dominant, but they’re not as consistent
So he doesn’t know whether it will be enough for the big time, but is confident that his team “can beat anyone”. Which they have largely done so far with their confident soccer. “We’ve dominated all our games except the one against Real,” Michel analyzed matter-of-factly. The home game against the Whites was lost 3-0.
However, even the record champions cannot currently keep up with the brutal consistency of the rebellious underdogs, who have been part of the City Football Group around Manchester City since 2017 and are therefore having an easier time on the transfer market. Only one team in Europe’s top five leagues can currently boast 13 wins: FC Girona. That’s no longer a run, they really are that good.
Even Barça coach Xavi, who often prefers to cite external adversity after losing games rather than acknowledge it, had to admit: “They’ve earned it.” They, currently the best in Catalonia – and in Spain. “We are in a very positive dynamic and enjoying the moment,” says Michel, who knows: “These players are making history, they really are.” A story that gets bigger from week to week
