Barcelona’s injury-hit squad found an unlikely hero in Ronald Araújo, who came off the bench as a makeshift striker to score a dramatic late winner against Girona — sending Barça to the top of La Liga and restoring belief before El Clásico.
With the match level at 1-1 in the dying minutes, Hansi Flick gambled by pushing the Uruguayan defender forward. Araújo, once a youth striker, predicted to his teammates he would score — and did just that in the 93rd minute, guiding a low shot past Paulo Gazzaniga before tearing off his shirt in celebration. “I told them I’d score, and they laughed,” he said after the match. “But so it was.”
Barcelona had taken the lead through a composed Pedri goal before Axel Witsel equalised with an acrobatic overhead kick. Girona created better chances throughout, exploiting Barça’s high defensive line, and seemed poised to snatch a win until Araújo’s late intervention.
Flick, sent off moments before the goal for protesting added time, celebrated wildly from the tunnel. His decision to throw Araújo forward echoed Johan Cruyff’s old tactical gambles, and it paid off perfectly.
The victory came at a crucial time for Barcelona. Consecutive defeats to PSG and Sevilla had left morale low and pressure mounting. With injuries to Raphinha, Lewandowski and others, doubts surrounded Flick’s system and the team’s ability to compete with Real Madrid.
For Araújo, the goal was personal redemption. Once viewed as too raw for Barcelona’s possession game and rumoured to be on the transfer list, he proved his worth in the club’s hour of need. “Sometimes you have to win like this,” said midfielder Fermín López.
Now, with the Clásico just days away, Barcelona have momentum again — and Araújo, once questioned, has reminded everyone of his fight and fire when it matters most.
