Fran Beltran netted an 86th-minute winner as Barcelona missed the chance to return to the LaLiga summit after slipping to a 2-1 defeat away to 10-man Girona on Monday. 

The spoils appeared set to be shared after Thomas Lemar had cancelled out Pau Cubarsi's opener, but Beltran came off the bench to deal Hansi Flick's team a huge title blow. 

An end-to-end opening saw both sides squander glorious chances, but it was Barcelona who were given the biggest opportunity to take the lead in first-half stoppage time. 

Dani Olmo was felled by Daley Blind in the penalty area, with Lamine Yamal assuming responsibility of the spot-kick. However, he saw his strike cannon off the right post. 

But the Blaugrana got themselves in front in the 59th minute when Jules Kounde's teasing delivery into the box was brilliantly headed past Paulo Gazzaniga by Cubarsi. 

Barcelona's lead lasted for just two minutes, though as Girona hit back through Lemar, who tucked home from inside the six-yard box after good work from Vladyslav Vanat. 

Joan Garcia then denied Ivan Martin's right-footed shot before springing back to his feet to deny Joel Roca soon after, who had been slipped in behind Alejandro Balde.

And Girona snatched all three points four minutes from time when Beltran picked out the bottom-left corner, with the goal given following a VAR review after Barcelona felt that Kounde had been fouled in the build-up by Claudio Echeverri. 

Ronald Araujo almost equalised in the first minute of second-half stoppage time but could not find the target, with Girona forced to see out the closing stages with a man less after Roca's ridiculous challenge on Yamal saw him sent off, but they held on to leave Barcelona two points behind Real Madrid.

Data Debrief: Barcelona pay the penalty

Flick cut a frustrated figure at the full-time whistle as he watched his Barcelona team fail to turn their chances into goals, though they were more than matched by their opponents in an entertaining clash at Estadi Municipal de Montilivi.

Barcelona finished the game with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.93 from their 27 attempts, though only four of those were on target, compared to Girona's 2.76 from their 13 shots at Garcia's net. 

And though Yamal became the first player to complete 100 dribbles (now 101) in Europe's top five leagues this season (202 attempted), he failed to deliver from 12 yards. Indeed, no other team has missed more penalties than Barcelona in LaLiga this season (3/7, level with Valencia 3/5).