Cristhian Stuani has had enough of scoring goals throughout his career. Few rivals have resisted the Matador de Tala in the Spanish league. The numbers of the Uruguayan forward soared with his arrival at Montilivi, where he greatly improved the numbers as a goalscorer he had with Racing de Santander, Espanyol or Levante.
Girona has been the best club in terms of goals in Stuani’s career. In fact, the charrúa is the top scorer of the white-and-red club, after surpassing Arcadi Camps at the top of the ranking last season. If Girona has been his footballing climax, Rayo Vallecano and Real Madrid have been his favorite victims. In the Vallecas team, he has the honor of heading the list that Stuani has scored the most times, with twelve goals, followed by Real Madrid, with six.
Few players can boast of having a historic and giant of European football in their list of top-scoring teams. Stuani’s idyll against Madrid began when he was wearing the Espanyol shirt. In white-and-blue, he scored his first goal against a team coached by Mourinho. Showing off his qualities, Stuani pounced on a dead ball in the area to beat Diego López. Higuaín, Di María, Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso or a young Morata were some of the names that made up that squad. Still as a parakeet, he would get wet again against the whites two seasons later, in 14/15. In a strong counter-attack (1-4), Stuani scored the only goal for Sergio González’s Espanyol in the 73rd minute.
The captain of Girona would have to wait to be able to pierce the Madrid goal again. The move to Middlesbrough from the Premier League made it impossible for him to face Madrid.
The return to the league with Girona was the opportunity to fatten up the goalscoring account again. In the first duel against Real Madrid, at the first opportunity, Stuani did not waste the option to score. It was October 29, 2017, Girona’s first season in Primera and Madrid’s first visit to Montilivi. It was Festes de Sant Narcís, with the stadium full to the top and Stuani tied the game at one. Machín’s team would go back to the confrontation in an outburst of joy on the field. That was also the first match in which the set managed to score and win the match at Real Madrid (2-1). I would add one more.
In total, wearing the Girona shirt, Stuani has played five games against Madrid and lost three, but he has also scored four goals.
The punta continued with the streak in the match of the second round. In that duel Stuani managed to score for the first time at the Santiago Bernabéu. Until then, every time he scored it was as a local. The presentation at the white light could not have been better in the personal field. A double with a bittersweet taste, as Girona were beaten 6 to 3. Cristiano showed off with a poker to Bono and Juanpe scored the other goal for Girona.
Stuani would then go two games without seeing a goal against Madrid. In the match of the first round of the 18/19 season, with Eusebio as Machín’s relief on the bench, he would be a substitute. Despite coming on in the second half, replacing Choco Lozano almost a quarter of an hour into the second half, there would be no reward in the form of a goal. It was again a one-to-four thrashing at home. Borja García put Girona ahead and made the local parish dream that defeating Madrid at home was once again possible. Impeccable response from Madrid that turned the score around.
The next head-to-head was in the Copa del Rey. Girona arrived motivated after eliminating Atlético de Madrid in the previous round. In the first leg, Stuani did not play a single minute, while in the second leg he started, but was unable to beat the goalkeeper.
The last time they were seen with Madrid was in February. An epic triumph at the Bernabéu that bore the signature of one of the Uruguayan’s goals. From 11 meters, Stuani did not miss the maximum penalty that tied the game at one. Porto completed the comeback. That victory seemed to bring Girona closer to staying, but a disastrous end to the season ended with the team in Segona.
Stuani has grown old, weakened by time and fate, as Lord Tennyson says in the poem Ulysses, but he continues with the determination to give war and never give up, looking for what has always characterized him, the goal. Tomorrow he will have another chance to do it against Madrid.
