Girona suffered a 1-0 defeat against Almería at Montilivi, a result that leaves manager Quique Álvarez acknowledging that his side is missing the consistency required to fight for direct promotion, diaridegirona.cat reported.
Almería secured the victory on their visit to Montilivi, claiming the three points that push them to the top of the Segunda División standings. Álvarez noted that the match unfolded much as his coaching staff expected.
“Era el partit que més o menys esperàvem, igualat,” Álvarez said, according to diaridegirona.cat. “Posen molta gent per dins i a vegades ens ha costat defensar, però crec que tampoc hem patit massa en tema d’ocasions.”
The defeats have left Girona trailing eight points behind the new league leaders, Almería. Álvarez admitted that the current numbers do not reflect a team ready for the top tier.
“Els números no són bons; ens falta consistència,” Álvarez stated, as reported by diaridegirona.cat. He added that the squad must look forward despite the setback. “Potser aquest és un mal moment. Veníem bé i ara hem tingut dues derrotes. A més, aquesta és contra un rival que estava a dalt i s’allunya.”
Tensions flared in the final moments of the match when Girona appealed for a penalty involving player Pyshchur. Álvarez addressed the incident after the final whistle.
“A mi des de fora m’ha semblat penal, però tampoc l’he vist a la tele,” Álvarez told diaridegirona.cat. “En directe m’ho ha semblat. És la típica jugada que li cau a Pyshchur va a rematar i li posen un peu. No l’he vist a la tele, però. No ho sé. És la decisió de l’àrbitre.”
Girona deployed a two-striker formation during the match, though Álvarez clarified that Abel’s positioning higher up the pitch was adjusted during the first half.
“La idea no era que Abel estigués tan amunt,” Álvarez explained to diaridegirona.cat. “De fet, era una correcció que li hem estat fent a la primera part. Són un equip que es defensa molt junt i ell buscava espais.”
The Girona manager emphasized that the squad must channel their frustration into training ahead of their next fixtures, noting that younger players like Mauro Furtado are still working through their adaptation periods.
“Avui i demà estarem tots fumuts, però ens hem d’aixecar per tornar dimarts o dimecres,” Álvarez told diaridegirona.cat. “No hi ha més remei. Això és el futbol.”
Keep reading
