GIRONAA Girona everyone will be angry, because what has always gone well, in San Mamés turned out badly. The individual mistakes made by Míchel’s team doomed him to defeat against Athletic (3-2). Everything he usually does with his eyes closed clouded over, well forgotten. But you have to remember because this is the price to pay to defend the style that the people of Girona practice. In Montilivi they have put on their bibs throughout the season and have melted into praise for some daring footballers who have managed to be the great revelation of European football. But they won’t always be able to get it right, because no one does everything right all the time. Nobody is perfect.
It is true that no team should allow the fact of conceding a goal with an offside in favor when two minutes of the match have not yet been played. You play for the League, a place in the Champions League, relegation or another day in any inconsequential area of the classification of any professional or amateur category. Because this shortcoming is serious. And it’s the one Girona had in San Mamés, to get even more involved in a match that was already complicated enough. But that was because in Montilivi the ball is not raffled, it is treated well. Others would have fixed it with a ball. But Girona doesn’t, Girona wants to pamper the ball. And he was left with a face of baboon because in total there were three paw pokes that had disastrous consequences and that cause Míchel’s people to see the ears of the wolf: he remains second, but the distance with Madrid is six points , and all rivals have cut them. Valverde’s, fifth in the Europa League zone, are already seven points behind.
It was Aleix Garcia, Miguel Gutiérrez and Juanpe Ramírez who were wrong. First Garcia sending a horizontal pass to Berenguer, who licked his lips before sending the ball into the back of Gazzaniga’s net as the great duel had just begun. The Ulldecona midfielder had time and form to have done anything else. But no, he gave the ball to his rival and caused the Girona players, for another week, to find themselves behind on the scoreboard without practically putting both feet on the grass. In Madrid it was in the sixth minute; in Bilbao, at two.
Then it was Gutiérrez, when Girona had managed to rebel after the break, with an attempted spur assist that Berenguer also took advantage of. And to top it all off, Juanpe’s mistake, immediately after Miguel’s, is not at all forceful in a rejection that ended with Iñaki Williams almost closing the game with thirty minutes left that left the Girona players very touched . At the Bernabéu it was already torture.
Without football it costs more
The problem, despite everything, was that Míchel’s people forgot to generate football. And without that, everything costs more. It was already intuited that maintaining the level taught for almost the entire season would be unsustainable in the long term. It is logical that a drop in performance occurs. As it is also known that this template will not fall completely, as some seers predict. In everything, the right bet is to look for the middle ground. When you find balance, you have a lot to gain.
At least he made an appearance. It was too important a night not to show up. It had many faces, Girona, which had a bad time for most of the duel. It was very difficult for him to contain the Bilbao intensity, because Iñaki Williams was very heavy creating many opportunities on the left side of the Catalan defense, with Miguel too high and Juanpe too alone. Blind missed him.
Athletic must have cursed themselves for not going into the break with a clearer advantage, because if there was anything Girona liked it was running to the dressing room to take a breather. It was wonderful for him, because he came out with a different air. It didn’t last long, clearly, reprimanded for his mistakes. But he also had concrete sparks in which he was back to being the Girona of old. That Girona that is not afraid of anything. It was with Tsygankov’s provisional tie and in the final stretch, when Eric Garcia cut the difference to give an emotion that would not be possible without the white-and-red character. Dovbyk, Savinho and Solís, in a shot that Vivian deflected under the line, equalized in stoppage time.
This is the worst run of the season for an unbeaten team on a two-game losing streak and a three-game winless run, a common occurrence in other times but unusual in this 2023-24 campaign. And now what? Well, second place is in danger and to confirm their presence in the Champions League, they will have to get up soon. There is no other way.
Athletic: Unai Simón, Lekue (De Marcos, 31′), Yeray (Paredes, 85′), Vivian, Yuri, Prados (Vesga, 85′), Galarreta, Iñaki Williams, Unai (Sancet, 74′), Berenguer and Guruzeta (Nico Williams, 74′). Coach: Ernesto Valverde. Girona: Gazzaniga, Arnau (Valery, 74′), Eric Garcia, Juanpe, Miguel, Aleix Garcia, Yangel Herrera (Jhon Solís, 89′), Iván Martín (Portu, 74′), Tsygankov (Stuani, 89′), Savinho and Dovbyk. Coach: Salva Fúnez. Goals: 1-0 Berenguer (2′), 1-1 Tsygankov (49′), 2-1 Berenguer (56′), 3-1 Iñaki Williams (60′) and 3-2 Eric Garcia (75′). Referee: Sánchez Martínez (Murcia Committee). Yellow cards: Juan Carlos (23′) and Lekue (25′). Red cards: None. Stadium: San Mamés, 46,220 spectators.
2024-02-19 22:00:37
#Gironas #place #League #complicated #defeat #Athletic
