Celta reminds Girona that they can't live life to the fullest.

GironaGirona were going at full speed, believing themselves all-powerful at halftime, confident of a lead against Celta. It didn't matter that it was their only shot, nor that the Galicians had hit the post twice. The Girona players felt capable of anything, but when the visitors finally broke through, their dream came to an end, and they were brought back down to earth (1-2). That mentality speaks volumes about Girona, of course. And after everything they've had to endure this season, who is anyone to tell them how to feel now that they're doing well?

Surely, as with everything in life, there's a middle ground between Girona's dismal start in La Liga and their current performance, which is more akin to a team dreaming of a Champions League spot than one struggling to avoid relegation. Confidence also plays a significant role in this transformation, as Girona has gone from playing with fear and anxiety to playing freely and boldly. This process wouldn't be possible without the figure of Míchel Sánchez, who has managed to convince those who were predicting his departure to now beg him to renew his contract, which expires in June. This extends the best chapter in the history of both the coach and the club.

The matchday offered an opportunity to further distance themselves from the relegation zone, given that most of their direct rivals had slipped up, but Girona also ended up stumbling. However, it was unthinkable to predict that they would currently have a six-point cushion above the relegation zone, the largest of the season. It was also difficult to imagine that they would survive Celta's attacking approach, a team that took a long time to translate their lead into goals. The woodwork denied Mingueza and Fer López, and Gazzaniga redeemed himself after a mistake by denying Jutglà. The sixth-place finisher showed why he deserves it.

The strategy works

But since almost every chance seems to go to the Rojiblancos, they arrived and immediately started firing. The goal that opened the scoring was a carbon copy of their first goal against Alavés on Monday: from a corner, Witsel flicked it on at the near post and Vanat appeared out of nowhere to finish it off. Despite struggling to create chances from set pieces and accumulating some errors in seemingly simple details like the final pass, a run off the ball, or a touch, it was the set pieces that worked. And that's a welcome change.

What happened next was what should have happened under normal circumstances. Celta, also superior after the restart, added clinical finishing to their repertoire of strengths. And there, with goals from Jutglà and an own goal by Vitor Reis, Girona's hopes were dashed. Girona had come close to a draw through Ounahi, but they can't even remember the last season that passed without any heartache. This one will be no exception.