Girona overcame the bad experience of the Cup – eliminated on Wednesday in Son Moix – with an official victory in Balaídos that allows them to regain the leadership of the League. A goal from Portu, at 20 minutes, and timely stops from Gazzaniga were enough for Montilivi’s team to add their 17th victory in 22 games and reach 55 points. An outrage that keeps the red and whites in a cloud, and allows them to catch their breath for the Tourmalet that is coming: Real Sociedad at home, Real Madrid at the Bernabeu and Athletic.
The Balaídos duel started very busy, with both teams wanting to turn the page on the elimination of the Cup, and with very different challenges: Celta, moving away from the relegation places (only 2 points above), and Girona , to continue at the head of the classification, after the victory of Real Madrid with controversy in Las Palmas.
Yangel Herrera opened the occasion dance for the Catalan team at 10 minutes. The Venezuelan hit a great shot after controlling it with his chest a few meters from the front, but his shot went into the side of the net.
Although clearer was Dovbyk’s header (m. 12) to a Savinho cross from the left. Guaita excelled to put his hand in and avoid the 0-1, and he avoided it again a few seconds later with another save in the corner that the Ukrainian striker finished off again.
Celta’s response was about to make it 1-0. Manu Sánchez served a cross from the left, the ball passed through the area and Mingueza finished at the far post with a shot that Gazzaniga saved on the line.
And from a possible 1-0 to 0-1 in one minute. Girona attacked from the left, Miguel Gutiérrez saw the arrival of Portu, the Murcian received, with oriented control he left his defender and scored with a shot at the short post.
Just three minutes later, the Murcian striker made it 0-2, but missed Dovbyk’s cross by a few centimeters.
Girona was launched, once again starring in one of those fast-paced game dynamics, an offensive barrage that distanced itself from its rivals. At 25 minutes, it was Tsygankov who had it, but his shot went over. The play was superb, with a pass from Dobvyk into space and a touch from Tsygankov against Guaita.
Celta was not intimidated by the Catalans’ push and enjoyed its best chances in the 30th and 31st minutes. Strand Larsen headed a cross from Mingueza from point-blank range – he did so while leaning on his defender – Gazzaniga grazed the tip of fingers and the ball crashed into the crossbar. And a minute later, Douvikas, after winning the race very quickly, ran into a great Gazzaniga who took the ball from him.
In a corner, Starfelt tried to comb the ball with his back (m. 35), but the ball went over the crossbar.
One of the clearest chances for the Vigo team came in the 39th minute with a one-on-one play by Douvikas against Gazzaniga, but the striker rushed in and finished tamely into the hands of the Argentine goalkeeper.
Three very clear chances for Celta to tie against a Girona that deflated after Portu’s 0-1.
In the second half the scoreboard did not move nor were there excessive opportunities for it to change. Girona barely suffered harassment from Celta and had enough control of the match to secure three points that maintain their lead, now with 1 point more than Madrid and 11 more than Barça (both with one game less, which they recover this week ).
“It feels very good to be leaders again, on a very complicated field, which was not in the best conditions and that hurts the game a lot. We kept a clean sheet, we did a good job. Mentally, the team has been very good to play on a field that is not easy at all,” commented Míchel Sánchez, Girona’s coach.
“It’s a dream. We have to appreciate what they do for these players, we are once again leaders, but it is a long-distance race, there are 16 rounds left, we are in a very nice, very exciting position,” the Madrid coach explained.
“The team is on top because we are a very competitive squad, the losses are not noticeable, we are going for the three points, we are all plugged in,” said scorer Portu. “We had to take advantage of what we had; at this stage of the championship the important thing is the 3 points and competing,” commented the Murcian. “The main thing is to focus on ourselves, not think beyond. We are a team thinking about the next game, thinking about the three points, we are leaving teams behind, our goal is the European competition. It is something unthinkable in such a small club like Girona. But this is not achieved overnight.”
