Girona B dropped its first home match of the season at the Municipal de Vidreres on Sunday, falling 2–1 to a sharp Espanyol B side. Goals from José Ángel and Jan Moreno in either half put the visitors firmly in control before a late response from Toni López fell short for the hosts.
Tactical Shift and First-Half Breakthrough
Girona B manager Donato deployed an unexpected tactical setup for the fixture, utilizing three central defenders and two wing-backs to counter the visitors. The formation initially paid dividends in midfield control, allowing winger Momo to test Espanyol B’s defense early with a deflected shot that clipped the right goalpost in the 16th quarter-hour of play.
Espanyol B gradually seized territory through sustained set-piece pressure, accumulating five corner kicks inside the opening 25 minutes. The breakthrough arrived in the 29th minute when José Ángel combined effectively with teammate Eloi Tost, finishing cleanly at the near post to open the scoring.
Rapid Second-Half Strikes and Late Hope
Girona B attempted to reply after the interval, introducing Cantarell and Javi González in place of Mauro Furtado and Momo while shifting to a conventional 4-2-3-1 shape. However, Espanyol B doubled its advantage swiftly in the 51st minute through a sharp team move finished by Jan Moreno inside the penalty area.
Despite dominating possession through the middle stages, the home side struggled to break down a resilient Espanyol B defense. Espanyol B maintained a constant threat on the counterattack, forcing Girona B defender Biel Farrés to clear an effort from Eloi Tost off the line in the 73rd minute.
Toni López provided a late lifeline in the 87th minute, steering home a close-range shot following a header at the far post. Javi González mounted a final attacking flurry in stoppage time, but his shot missed wide as Espanyol B secured the three points.
Match Details and Lineups
Referee Nil Cubas of the Balearic Islands committee officiated the match at the Municipal de Vidreres, issuing yellow cards to Aimar, Biel Farrés, and Frey for Girona B, alongside Santiago and Lucas Jr. for Espanyol B.
Girona B starting lineup: Bilali, Biel Farrés, Salguero, Badia, Aimar (Raventós, min. 60), Arango (Toni López, min. 72), Javi Sarasa (Biel, min. 72), Momo (Javi González, min. 46), Frey, Gibi, and Mauro Furtado (Cantarell, min. 46).
Espanyol B starting lineup: Llorenç, Timera, Ferran Gómez (Londoño, min. 70), Jan Peries, Santiago (Pol Rivera, min. 70), Bargalló (Coulombe, min. 70), Martí Farell (Crespo, min. 81), Mulle (Jan Moreno, min. 41), Eloi Tost, José Ángel, and Lucas Jr.
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