After a 2024 full of moments to remember, a maelstrom of feelings and historic days, a more realistic Girona began the new year with the same identity that characterizes it, always trying to be the protagonist, and a lot of luck was added to this staging visit to Mendizorroza. Míchel’s men once again had little bite, their main defect this season, but in the added time of the match, in their only shot on goal, they took three points against Alavés with a lucky goal from Solís, thanks to a previous error by Diarra. A victory that brings them closer to Europe, the great challenge of 2025, although without clearing up doubts about the offensive problems.
The opening whistle gave way to two teams eager to please, both with a high pace and with renewed strength after almost three weeks without football. It was all good intentions and very little concreteness. Girona applied their usual high pressure, something that gave them control in the early stages.
The balance, however, was leaning towards the babazorros despite suffering two injuries in the same minute, at half an hour, to Carlos Martín and Jordán. Miguel Gutiérrez, who had played almost every minute this season, suffered the same fate a few seconds later. The one from Pinto had been one of the few who had not set foot in the infirmary, where he will now accompany Miovski, Portu and Asprilla.
One of those admitted to Alavés was Conechny. The winger had the clearest chance of the first half, with a shot from point-blank range that was too high, and also caused the great controversy of the duel. In the same action, Busquets Ferrer declared a penalty for a slight push by Arnau to the Argentine, but the referee retracted it when he saw on the VAR monitor that the contact was very slight.
By then, the Albiazul team was already living in rival territory, with better feelings as a result of good pressure, while Girona only got close to the opponent’s goal before the break with a shot into the side of Danjuma’s net.
After the restart, the good manners of Coudet’s team continued. It was difficult for Girona to wake up in a second half that turned into an exchange of fruitless blows. With Míchel’s team colliding again and again with the rival defense, Alavés took advantage of the spaces to score the goal in a counterattack that failed with everything in Conechny’s favor. The Argentine then forced Gazzaniga to intervene with a long shot and Toni Martínez did not find the goal in an individual play.
Despite the entry of Stuani and Tsygankov, back from injury, Girona still couldn’t find a way, without even attempts on goal. Only Owono, with a punt that bounced off Stuani, seemed to anticipate the fatal outcome of the glorious one. The people of Girona languished, happy with the point, until a timid cross from Arnau in the 91st minute changed everything. Although it was a comfortable ball, Diarra failed to clear it, leaving the ball open in the small area. Solís only had to shoot into the net to give Girona a lucky victory in the first League match in 2025.
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