They can be more or less fine with the ball, be pragmatic in the game or rhetorical in the elaboration, appear confident or soft at the back, but Girona is not willing to get off the top of the table. There he waits, alone, waiting for Real Madrid to host Rayo Vallecano this Sunday (at 9:00 p.m., DAZN). He hesitated, in any case, in Pamplona. Emboldened by the always decisive Budimir, Osasuna seemed to be recovering its memory, especially after overcoming Iván Martín’s 0-1 deficit. Nothing of that. In an electric match, in which at times they lost control of the game (never the ball), Girona showed all their confidence to a doubtful Osasuna. And when El Sadar threatened to become a fortress again, the Catalan team took it ahead of them. This time, it wasn’t showy. He didn’t care: the strategy remains in flames. And Girona is still celebrating in the League.
2
Herrera, Jesús Areso, Catena, Mojica, David García, Lucas Torró (Jon Moncayola, min. 89), Moi Gómez (Pablo Ibáñez, min. 75), Chimy Ávila (Rubén García, min. 75), Rubén Peña (Kike Barja , min. 83), Aimar Oroz (Raul García de Haro, min. 83) and Ante Budimir
4
Gazzaniga, Eric Garcia, Arnau Martinez, Daley Blind, Yan Couto (Tsygankov, min. 69), Aleix García, Miguel Gutierrez, Yangel Herrera, Sávio, Dovbyk (Stuani, min. 85) and Iván Martín (Portu, min. 85)
Goals 0-1 min. 16: Iván Martín. 1-1 min. 25: Before Budimir. 2-1 min. 54: Before Budimir. 2-2 min. 71: Dovbyk. 2-3 min. 80: Tsygankov. 2-4 min. 90: Aleix García.
Referee José Luis Munuera Montero
Yellow cards Chimy Ávila (min. 39), Catena (min. 41), Ante Budimir (min. 51), Arnau Martinez (min. 72), Yangel Herrera (min. 84), Aitor (min. 87) and Stuani (min. 94)
Osasuna’s reliability in pressure was in decline and Michel knew it. Without that fierceness to bog down rivals in the rival field, the hallmark of Jagoba Arrasate’s boys that had made them climb to seventh position in the League last season, Girona opted to attack from the wings. Less inside play, more vertical football to disarm an Osasuna with the intensity in standby, although always tough in defense, impossible for Girona to beat in First Division until this Saturday. Michel’s notebook of ideas seems infinite and his formula worked perfectly. At least, he did it from the start.
Osasuna practically did not smell the ball in El Sadar. Nothing strange when a team like Girona appears opposite. It took 10 minutes for the red team to react and it was not until Mojica took command for Lucas Torró to have a double chance. None, however, with a prize. In any case, Arrasate found the chink in Michel’s armor: the red and white defense was less reliable with Eric García instead of David López at the back with three centre-backs that the Madrid coach usually draws. It is precisely this tactical system that gives Girona its chameleonic identity, normally with Aleix García as the axis of the entire game, this Saturday with the focus on Savinho.
If the Brazilian is one of the footballers in the League, Girona consolidates itself as one of the surprises in Europe. Before the duel against Osasuna, Michel’s team stood as one of the five teams that had scored the most goals from elaborate plays, four, behind Leverkusen and PSG (six) and Brighton (five). Girona’s fifth came to break the zero on the scoreboard in El Sadar. Undaunted to take the ball from behind, Savinho accelerated when the ball reached his feet. So, all speed in Girona. The play, beautiful for how fast and precise it was, ended 0-1 after Iván Martín pushed the ball into the net without opposition.
Everything was from Girona. Michel and company had arrived in Pamplona ready for no one to wake them from their sleep, much less from the top of the table. But Osasuna rebelled. He was not willing to let himself be passed over, much less in his house. No one better than Budimir to rescue Arrasate. The forward twice took advantage of the passivity of the Girona defense, unrecognizable in El Sadar. First to catch a second play, then to win alone against his four markers and sign the comeback. He wanted to recover his Osasuna essence, this lost campaign, especially at home: he has one victory, one draw and four defeats. He could not. Or rather, Girona did not leave him.
Michel’s alarm clock was on the bench: Tsygankov. Of course, the Ukrainian had the help of Dovbyk. Between the two forwards they struck down Osasuna. First it was Dovbyk, who fooled everyone with a movement in the area to score with a header to make it 2-2. After Tsygankov he appeared for 2-3. Girona continued with its plan to attack on the wings. The script was the one that Michel had devised for the visit to El Sadar, the idea that the coach has pursued since he sat on the Montilivi bench: controlling the games with the ball. And for that he has Aleix García. This Saturday less present with the ball, but decisive on the net. The midfielder, who is expected to appear on Luis de la Fuente’s list for next November 10, closed the victory with a great goal: a powerful volley from the corner of the area, which bounced off the grass before sneaking into the corner of the goal. of Herrera.
Aleix García appeared, as did Dovbyk and Tsygankov. Of course, Savinho. In short, Girona appeared in Pamplona. And it seems that he is already used to walking through the skies of the League.
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