Girona hosted Real Betis at Estadi Municipal de Montilivi on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in a La Liga midweek fixture that ended with the visitors securing a 3-2 victory. The match, which kicked off at 3:30 p.m. ET (8:30 p.m. Local time), saw Girona take an early lead through Viktor Tsygankov in the seventh minute before Real Betis responded with goals from Marc Roca, Abde Ezzalzouli and Rodrigo Riquelme to turn the game around. Girona pulled one back late through Azzedine Ounahi from the penalty spot in the 68th minute, but it was not enough to prevent defeat.
The result left Girona in 11th position in the La Liga table with 38 points from 32 games played, although Real Betis climbed to fifth place with 49 points. Girona’s record stood at 9 wins, 11 draws, and 12 losses, with a goal difference of -13. Real Betis improved to 12 wins, 13 draws, and 7 losses, boasting a goal difference of +8. The Catalan side had lost just once in their previous five league matches coming into the game, including a 1-1 draw at Real Madrid, but failed to build on that resilience against a Betis side that had endured a seven-match winless run in La Liga prior to this encounter.
Real Betis arrived at the match having suffered a Europa League exit the previous week, losing 4-2 at home to Braga in the quarterfinal second leg after leading at halftime. Despite their poor league form, the visitors showed resilience in Girona, with Marc Roca opening the scoring in the 23rd minute before Abde Ezzalzouli doubled the advantage just after the hour mark. Rodrigo Riquelme then sealed the win with a late goal in the 80th minute, assisted by Ezzalzouli. Girona’s consolation came through Ounahi’s penalty, awarded after a handball incident, though Tsygankov’s early strike had initially given the home side hope.
The match was attended by 11,934 spectators at the Montilivi stadium, with Girona enjoying strong home form having won 10 of their last 12 matches at the venue. However, their defensive frailties were exposed as Betis capitalized on key moments, particularly through the interplay between Ezzalzouli and Riquelme. Girona had scored in six consecutive home games prior to this match but could not maintain their momentum against a Betis side that finally broke their league winless streak.
Girona’s head coach Michel made two second-half substitutions, bringing on Thomas Lemar and Hugo Rincón for Iván Martín and Arnau Martínez respectively, in an attempt to salvage the result. Real Betis also used their bench, with Ricardo Rodríguez replacing Abde Ezzalzouli late in the game. The match saw multiple disciplinary actions, including yellow cards for Ounahi and Riquelme, reflecting the intense nature of the contest as both sides pushed for advantage in the closing stages.
The victory moved Real Betis clear of Villarreal in the race for European qualification spots, while Girona remained mid-table with their survival hopes secure but their push for higher honors stalled. Girona’s next fixture is scheduled against Osasuna, while Real Betis will face Celta Vigo in their following La Liga outing as both teams look to build on this result.
For continued updates on La Liga standings, match previews, and post-match analysis, readers are encouraged to follow official league channels and trusted sports news outlets. Share your thoughts on the Girona vs Real Betis encounter in the comments below, and stay tuned for more coverage of Spanish football throughout the 2025-2026 season.
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