European football: Ronald Araújo edges Barcelona past Girona at the last

4 hours ago 2

The substitute Ronald Araújo scored three minutes into added time as Barcelona secured a 2-1 win over a stubborn Girona in La Liga. Barcelona took the lead in the 13th minute, when Pedri received Lamine Yamal’s quick ball into the box and ran across the defensive line before dispatching a low left-footed finish.

Yet Axel Witsel’s spectacular bicycle kick off Arnau Martínez’s header levelled for Girona seven minutes later. The hosts pushed hard for the winner with five shots on target in the first 30 minutes of the second half and their efforts were finally rewarded when the late substitute Araújo struck in added time.

Araújo took his shirt off in celebration and was booked but Hansi Flick, his coach, was not around to see it as he had just been sent off for two yellows in added time.

In Germany, Bayer Leverkusen’s Alejandro Grimaldo scored twice in the first half to guide them to a 4-3 victory in a thrilling clash at Mainz, stretching their record unbeaten run on the road in the Bundesliga.

Leverkusen, who host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday, moved up to 14 points in fifth place with their third straight league win while also extending their unbeaten league record to 37 consecutive away matches.

Grimaldo opened the scoring with an 11th-minute penalty before Christian Kofane doubled the lead 13 minutes later. Mainz briefly cut the deficit through Lee Jane-sung but Grimaldo punished the hosts for two consecutive defensive errors in first-half stoppage time to slot in and restore their two-goal cushion.

After the break the hosts hit a post and earned a 71st-minute penalty, with Nadiem Amiri putting them back in the game from the spot, but the visitors struck again with Martin Terrier slotting in from close range in the 87th. Mainz still had time to score another goal – in the 90th minute through Armindo Sieb – but could not find the equaliser in 10 minutes of added time.

The afternoon Bundesliga kick-offs were a warm-up for the big game of the day, Bayern Munich at home to Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker.