GIRONAA town of around 8,000 inhabitants called Quintanar del Rey, whose team plays in Tercera RFEF, has shaken Girona, of the First Division, who made their fortune thanks to a goal by Stuani in extra time (1-2) . The Girona team were the only Catalans to qualify this Sunday morning, because Mollerussa, despite holding on to the surprise for a long time, could not pull off the miracle against Rayo Vallecano (1-3) and Manresa lost with Pontevedra (1-3). This afternoon, Lleida receives Alabès at 6 p.m.
Girona has sweated blood to eliminate Quintanar. We can only highlight Riquelme’s prodigious strike near the half-hour mark, which put him ahead, and the awakening produced when he had no other choice. The rest was forgettable, saved by Fuidias’ saves. Míchel, enraged, could not believe that with men of the stature of Valery, Bernardo, Miguel, Riquelme or Cristhian Stuani, it was not enough to overcome a group inferior in talent, but superior in attitude. Main players like Arnau, Aleix Garcia and Santi Bueno had to come to the rescue to fix what was happening and put some judgment. Undoubtedly a major highlight for all those who played, except the goalkeeper. If the backups wanted to make things difficult for the starters, they have achieved the opposite effect by making it easier for them.
El Quintanar has sown chaos in the middle of a white-and-red defense that has caused water everywhere. Toni Fuidias, the third goalkeeper in the squad, has had enough of taking part. The crossbar also played its part, spitting out a Mazzocchi shot in the second half. Neither Fuidias nor the wood, however, could do anything to stop the penalty executed by Megías. It is not the first time that Girona have shown their lack of defensive concentration and increased, in one more game, the fact that they did not leave their goal to zero: they have not managed to do so in the Cup or in any of the 14 League games.
In a final exchange of blows, Minayas, for the locals, and Taty Castellanos, with a shot on the post, could not avoid an extension that while for Quintanar it was a prize, for Girona it was a punishment. The Girona players have been able to interpret it to make a change of chip and Cristhian Stuani has avoided what would have been a major disaster in an action of strategy. To add tension, the Uruguayan missed a penalty.
In Mollerussa and Manresa, the party is not complete
For many minutes, Mollerussa has been dreaming. Rayo Vallecano, eighth in the Primera Division and able to draw at the Camp Nou and win at Madrid, was suffering. They went ahead with a goal from Bebé from a direct free kick in the twenty minutes, but ten minutes later they were stunned when Genís Soldevila left a ball inside the area that Nico finished with his head. The Municipal of Mollerussa, mad, has refused to rule anything out.
With the passage of minutes, however, the Madrid players have been imposing their craft. With Diego López under the three posts, Rayo ended up bursting the bubble in which the Catalans have lived with a goal from Méndez at the start of the second half. Mollerussa kept trying, but the score did not move until the final stretch, when Camello sealed the duel.
For its part, in Manresa the Cup has started in an unbeatable way. Only serving in the center, between Marc Martínez and Churre in their own goal they invented an incredible goal that advanced the locals. In four minutes, however, Pontevedra, from a higher category, turned the electronic game upside down: two shots from Brais Abelenda, who also scored the third, and Yelko Pino qualified them. Before the end, Javi López missed a penalty for the Catalans.
The second round is played on December 21
Girona, in the absence of what Lleida does this afternoon against Alabès, will accompany Espanyol and Nàstic in the next round of the King’s Cup, which will be played on Wednesday, December 21, still without the presence of Barça. Madrid, Betis and Valencia, who play the Super Cup. The draw will take place this Wednesday from 17:00 and, as happened in the first round, the matches will take place in the stadium of the lower category team.
