FC Barcelona secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Girona FC in the final moments of the Catalan derby on Saturday at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium.

Ronald Araujo scored the winning goal deep into stoppage time, sparking wild celebrations among Barça fans after a tense and hard-fought match.

Barcelona took an early lead in the 13th minute through Pedri, who combined brilliantly with Lamine Yamal, returning to the starting lineup after recovering from injury. But Girona quickly responded, with Axel Witsel firing home a stunning equalizer just six minutes later.

Both sides created several chances afterward — Girona’s Portu struck the crossbar, while Barça’s Frenkie de Jong and Marcus Rashford came close to restoring the lead.

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Barça thought they had gone ahead early in the second half when Pau Cubarsí found the net, but the goal was disallowed for a foul in the buildup.

In a dramatic finale, Araujo sealed the win for Barcelona with a precise finish in the last minute of added time, ensuring three crucial points for Hansi Flick’s side.

However, the victory was marred by Flick’s red card in stoppage time for dissent toward referee Gil Manzano, ruling him out of El Clásico against Real Madrid on October 26.

Before kickoff, both teams observed a moment of solidarity with residents of Catalonia’s Terres de l’Ebre, recently affected by Storm Alice.

Separately, the match also saw a 15-second symbolic protest by players following a call from Spain’s footballers’ union (AFE) over LaLiga’s controversial plan to stage a Barcelona vs Villarreal league game in Miami.

The win keeps Barcelona’s strong domestic run alive as they prepare for a busy stretch of fixtures.