Girona lose in the last minute and do not confirm their permanence in the First Division

GironaIf strange and almost paranormal things didn't happen, Girona wouldn't be Girona. Just as they were beginning to celebrate their survival, a last-minute move by Eyong froze the collective mood and gave Villarreal a 1-0 victory. In theory, it shouldn't mean any disaster, but now they'll be looking with interest at Leganés-Espanyol on Sunday, where they need a favor from the Blue and Whites. For now, Míchel's team has a six-point lead over Las Palmas and seven over Madrid, with nine points still to play for. The Atlético manager remains hospitalized: Santi Pou, a member of the coaching staff, was in telephone contact the entire time.

The Girona team has come to the conclusion that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Despite the great victory against Mallorca (lucky enough) and the fact that their direct rivals are slipping up, the team held nothing back, even though on Tuesday the schedule ties them to Valladolid, where they could theoretically have a great chance of winning. Krejci and Yangel Herrera will be without suspension. From his hospital bed, Míchel gave instructions not to touch what is working so well, with the obvious desire to maintain the positive momentum.

Villarreal didn't spare any effort either, with an offensive arsenal that threatened at every opportunity. Gazzaniga was the man in charge of overcoming the warnings, and he earned the support of the crowd, who had already chanted his name before halftime. The Argentine, firmly in the starting lineup for three seasons, responded with applause and a nod of thanks. It certainly wasn't necessary, as the job had been done by spectacularly deflecting two shots from Ayoze's six-yard box—the third was inside, but preceded by a handball—and a pair of shots from Foyth and Pepe. The visitors' dominance was clear, and even Baena was the target of a potential penalty, but not whistled.

An offensive wasteland

But this is a different Girona, nothing like the one that was falling apart not long ago, limited in confidence. They were inferior, yes, but they didn't earn a point by a few seconds. They allowed themselves the pleasure of playing alongside a rival in the Champions League places, taking the ball and dominating them, with special mention to Arthur, who is slowly proving that the reasons that brought him to the big clubs were real. The Brazilian has acclimated well to Montilivi, who barely had any chances from his team: a header from Stuani went wide, and a few sporadic runs that ended up hitting an opponent. Yangel came close to equalizing in stoppage time, but his attempt grazed the post. The mood may have changed, but there are structural problems that don't change so easily: the faith of Portu and the Uruguayan fixes some things, not all. The 0-1 scoreline came without them on the field, by the way. Beyond the duo, the team, offensively, remains a wasteland.

Girona is First Division"It's a shame," sang the Jovent Gironí cheer group during the final stretch. And yes, the locker room truly feels it with its fingertips. Especially with the 0-0 scoreline, shattered by a dazzling appearance from Eyong, who had just come on and finished alone, behind David López's back. It's often a torment, loving Girona. Especially this year, a season that should have been so special and in which everyone is suffering, crossing their fingers for a good end.