Girona's powerlessness, anger, and frustration in Leganés

GIRONAIt was the perfect night. It couldn't have been better. Portu and Stuani, finally starting, were providing the adrenaline rush Girona needed. They had made it 1-0, a goal that moved the relegation zone five points away. It was golden, a victory that broke the losing streak. But a lapse in focus, yet another act of selfishness from Danjuma—who instead of keeping the ball in the 92nd minute and closing out the game, decided to leave it open by waging war on his own—spurred Leganés on, who edged two points clear of their chances of missing them at the end of the La Liga season (1-1). Everything remains the same, with the relegation zone three points away. There are fifteen more to play for.

The story of Portu and Stuani at Girona is like a movie. They've experienced so many situations that it seems like a lifetime has passed. They've seen Girona rise and fall, celebrate incredible victories, inflict a thousand wounds on the city, and sing the Champions League anthem. They've literally given their all for the club. But as time has passed, they've played less. In fact, they haven't started together in La Liga for almost six years, on the fateful night when, with Eusebio, they were relegated to the Second Division after a defeat at Montilivi against Levante.

In the midst of the crisis, and with the threat of a new trauma looming, Míchel has returned to the spotlight. Everyone was crying out for it. And, of course, his presence has altered the staff's mood. Suddenly, the collective sadness and terror of defeat have been replaced by the feeling of being able to overcome any obstacle. That's their added value: they make no one fear anything. The years will pass, but that forward line will always be eternal for Girona.

70 minutes ahead

Neither the pressure nor the stage intimidated the old red-and-white rockers, who took the final in Leganés as if it were a personal matter. They were decisive from the start, when a sprint in which Portu showed endless faith ended with Cissé being sent off, who cut the Murcian off as the last man. A move that came out of nowhere that remained crucial until the very last play.

At Butarque, the day shouldn't have belonged to anyone other than Portu and Stuani. Their connection at the start of the second half, authors of a 0-1 they should have shared, has brought them much closer to staying in the First Division. But this year it seems as if nothing is right. The team has been shrinking, hasn't taken advantage of its numerical advantage, Míchel has made things worse with substitutions, and without Stuani and Portu on the pitch—coincidence? Don't believe it—Danjuma's misfortune has arrived, extending the poor run to eleven games without a win and leaving a dressing room in a terrible state of shock, one that will have no choice but to fight for its survival from now until the end of the League.

Although he's already used to it. As the hours pass, he'll at least see that Leganés allowed themselves to go for the definitive solution: Portu and Stuani, plus nine more. This is the path, let no one have any doubt.