Girona saw its run halted on Sunday afternoon with a 1-0 defeat against Real Sociedad B at Zubieta, conceding a decisive late goal after playing more than an hour with ten men following David López’s red card.
Astiazaran Breaks Deadlock Late After Girona Resists With Ten Men
The match turned decisively in the 86th minute when Astiazaran broke the deadlock at Zubieta. A goal from Astiazaran beat Girona goalkeeper Gazzaniga to settle a scrappy encounter and deny the visitors a point. The decisive blow arrived just as Quique Álvarez’s side appeared to have weathered the storm of a numerical disadvantage, leaving Girona empty-handed after a resilient defensive display.
David López Sent Off as Gazzaniga Keeps Girona Alive With Penalty Double-Save
The turning point of the first half arrived at the quarter-hour mark when a VAR review alerted referee Sánchez Villalobos to a challenge by David López on Lebarbier inside the penalty area. The central defender was shown a straight red card for the tackle, leaving his team shorthanded for the remaining hour of the match. Dani Díaz stepped up to take the resulting penalty for the hosts, but Gazzaniga produced an immense double-save, denying both the initial spot-kick and the rebound to keep the score level at 0-0.
🟥 L'àrbitre xiula penal favorable a la Real Sociedad B i expulsa David López després de revisar la jugada al VAR
Tactical Adjustments Hold the Line Before Late Heartbreak
Faced with more than an hour of playing down a man, Quique Álvarez immediately shuffled his lineup, sacrificing Unai Hernández to introduce central defender Mumin. The tactical adjustment stabilized the visitors’ backline, preventing a repeat of their deep retreat during a prior expulsion against Castellón. Girona contained Real Sociedad B’s territorial pressure through the remainder of the first half, restricting the hosts to long-range efforts such as Balda’s strike against the crossbar.
Missed Chances Cost Girona Prior to the Winner
After absorbing pressure through the second half, Girona grew into the game following the introduction of Portu off the bench. The visitors carved out the clearest scoring opportunities in the closing stages, missing a triple chance involving Portu and Carles Pérez before Olasagasti denied Pérez from close range. Having pushed forward in search of a winner, Girona instead was caught out at the back when Astiazaran capitalized in the 86th minute to seal the 1-0 victory for the home side.
Match Details and Standings Impact
The narrow defeat leaves Girona looking to regroup after failing to capitalize on their late momentum at Zubieta. Quique Álvarez’s side had traveled to San Sebastián following consecutive home victories against Andorra and Celta Fortuna, alongside a Copa win at Cuarte, aiming to stay close to the division’s top two teams. Real Sociedad B secured the three points to halt a six-match losing streak.
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