A goal from Dani Parejo from a penalty in the 101st minute gave the Villarreal the victory this Sunday against the Girona (1-0) after a game in which the Argentine goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga supported the Catalan team during the ninety minutes and even stopped a penalty against Gerard Moreno in minute 93.
Two similar styles of play were measured at the Estadio de la Cerámica this Sunday in the match between Quique Setién’s team and Míchel Sánchez’s, who wanted to propose by handling the ball, but Villarreal, with good pressure after losing, whatHe wanted to prevent Girona, who caressed the post after six minutes after a whiplash from Aleix, from showing off his identity.
Villarreal was the most insistent team in attack, with a first great chance by Pino, who hit the ball off a post, and by Baena, who caught the rebound and took a powerful shot that Gazzaniga sent for a corner (m.12).
The danger of the yellows still followed in the play from the corner in which Pau Torres entered with the decision to finish off, but it was very well covered by Bueno to prevent the central defender from connecting with the ball.
In Girona He only had to wait to intercept a ball and set up the counterattack. Iván Martín crossed into the area for Stuani, who was imprecise in control and wasted his team’s only arrival at the Reina goal, while Gazzaniga supported his team with two meritorious saves to Mandi and Gerard.
The match reached the break without goals, but with four yellow cards for the locals, three for the visitors and with Cuenca leaving with a bloody face after a clash between him and Mandi that did not prevent the defender from entering the field of play. although he did it with a mask that he took off five minutes after the match resumed because it bothered him. Finally, Cuenca could not continue and Mbacke entered, who made his debut in First Division.
Girona adjusted its defense and the forces were equalized. Villarreal no longer arrived as comfortable or found holes in a defensive line together and in an area that accumulated rojiblancos players, Miguel and Bernardo avoiding two clear chances for the yellows.
Villarreal, who paused the game to try to choose the perfect situation to look for the goal, tried from outside the area with Gerard, but Gazzaniga he reappeared in the 74th minute to clear the shot.
Girona, who since 78 held on with one less player due to a double yellow card against Bueno, saw their survival exercise useless after a saved penalty against Gerard, since in minute 101 he again had another penalty against which Parejo did not waste to give the victory to the local team.
