Girona is not satisfied with making history only in the League and in the Cup they have already equaled their best result by qualifying for the quarterfinals. After eliminating Orihuela from the Second Federation and doing the same with Elche from the Second Division, this Wednesday they beat a First Division team like Rayo Vallecano, whom they beat 3 to 1. Three local goals converted in the first half and in only 11 minutes, two of which from Stuani – one of them, a penalty – and the third from Blind. Nteka scored the goal of honor for Rayo, also in the first half.
Despite the ambitious speech at the previous press conference, Míchel introduced some rotations in the eleven, as expected, and lined up players like Tsygankov or Yangel Herrera, in need of minutes after a few weeks out due to injury. More surprising was, however, the ownership of Savinho – thus dispelling any doubts about the physical problems he had – and also the substitution of Aleix Garcia, especially since on Sunday he will already be forced to rest against Sevilla in the League due to suspension. In goal, Juan Carlos was chosen to replace Gazzaniga, and at the point of attack Stuani sat Dovbyk. The Uruguayan is always a guarantee and this Wednesday he demonstrated it again by scoring two goals in the first 20 minutes. The first, after a quarter of an hour, after a great combination play started by Tsygankov, continued by Portu and finished off by himself. And the second, thanks to a rogue play by the Murcian striker who received a penalty after stealing Mumin’s wallet inside the area. The Girona captain scored in the Panenka style and, with his second goal in just four minutes, he left the tie very much on track, and the draw in Almería, a pure accident.
Montilivi was having a good time again and, if that wasn’t enough, with Rayo still down on the canvas, Portu did his thing again and, with another cross to the near post, Blind scored Girona’s third and also his third goal in the last four games.
A true offensive gale that, exactly like against Atlético de Madrid in the League, contrasted with the concessions of the team behind, a line for which Míchel could only rotate Yan Couto for Arnau, due to injuries, forcing Miguel, Juanpe and Blind himself repeated ownership. With the tie at zero, Nteka had already warned, and with the score at 3-0 and taking advantage of the fact that the locals seemed to have taken their foot off the accelerator, De Frutos had another one that hit the post. It was the third, when the same French striker took advantage of a mistake by Solís when the ball came out to close the gap with a cross kick.
There was still the entire second half left, but Míchel, perhaps unhappy with the team’s defensive performance, took advantage of the break to seat Juanpe and Arnau and bring on Yan Couto and the young Hungarian from the reserve team, Antal. A second half in which the people from Girona dedicated themselves to managing such a favorable result and in which the people from Madrid tried to score the second to re-enter the tie. Francisco, the former Girona coach who returned to Montilivi this Wednesday, moved the bench to put more gunpowder on the pitch and brought on footballers like Trejo or Falcao for the ineffective Isi and Raúl de Tomás. Everyone, however, stumbled upon an immeasurable Antal. First, putting a providential leg on another Nteka shot, and then, stealing the ball from Trejo when he faced Juan Carlos thanks to a lost ball by Blind in a compromised area. Stuani – who completed the 90 minutes this Wednesday – was one of those who sought the fourth goal with more insistence to end the night with a hat-trick, along with Savinho, who in a couple of flashes in the last moments sent a ball to the crossbar and made Cárdenas, the visiting goalkeeper, shine.
