Girona and Espanyol deliver a beautiful but goalless derby.

GironaIf anyone expected Girona and Espanyol to maintain their form, they were mistaken. The Catalan derby was a feast for the fans' eyes: an open duel in which anything could have happened. In fact, it's incomprehensible that it ended goalless (0-0). The revolutions were at their limit, with crazy situations back and forth that made hearts leap on both sides. There was no respite. With this draw, Girona provisionally moves out of last place and Espanyol maintains its good momentum.

The Girona team forgot their doubts in the locker room; the Blue and Whites didn't trust the perceived favoritism. It was a chess game between Míchel Sánchez, in a weak position due to poor results, and Manolo González, the believer for whom his fans would throw themselves off a cliff, if necessary. The Vallecas native shook up the formation and protected himself with a 3-5-2; Folgoso do Caurel's team, brave with an attacking lineup that already sensed what would eventually be seen, gave clear instructions to go to work and find the depth and direct play with which they wanted to attack the weak points of the fragile home defense.

It was Espanyol who, with the authority that comes from occupying a Champions League position, had the clearest chances in the first half of an exceptional performance. They ran into Gazzaniga numerous times, the goalkeeper with the most personality to have passed through Montilivi. The more he was questioned, the better he responded. Seeing the wolf's ears with the signing of Livakovic also helped. But the Croatian will have to wait.

Gazzaniga, above all, grew up against Dolan and Roberto. The duel between the Andalusian striker and the Brazilian Vitor Reis was the great battle of the derby. Roberto, a veteran of a thousand battles, outclasses the center-back in experience and cunning, who is just taking his first steps in the elite, but who not only didn't flinch, but also shook off the bad reputation he had for being too raw and tender. Reyes, aided by the fact that Míchel positioned Francés and Blind right on his sides, very close, knew how to interpret very well when to step forward, when not to, and how to intimidate the Espanyol striker. Roberto, at the same time, offered solutions so Pere Milla could take advantage of the space he couldn't occupy. They're a very well-rounded team, the Perico.

On the other side, Girona, whose image has been strengthened this week, quickly understood that either they reacted or Espanyol, who started better, would devour them. They had to match the momentum, and it turns out they multiplied it. Whether inside or outside, the Girona side created plenty of dangerous chances around Dmitrovic. The Serbian flew to deflect Iván Martín's shot from the edge of the area and made a good save from a two-on-one between Portu and Vanat in the second half, in which Dolan's defensive sacrifice was crucial. Later, the goalkeeper almost messed up his feet, but his teammates saved him. Just like in the beginning, he efficiently parried shots from Portu and Ounahi. The Moroccan, infected by his great performance at the Cathedral, once again showed that he has more than enough talent to be a difference-maker. He still needs to refine his ability to get carried away in some situations.

No incidents in the stands

The derby was beautiful, time flew by, and everyone in the stands was enjoying themselves. There were no incidents to be regretted among the fans, who, apart from a few shouts, displayed exquisite behavior. The substitutes warmed up on the touchline, motionless, because they couldn't take their eyes off the pitch. Girona seemed to come out on top after the break, but Espanyol never let them get carried away: Romero, in two consecutive forays, flirted with a goal, but was unsuccessful. Pere Milla also scored again. As significant as the home side's final sprint. Neither team defended the point, which is a credit to them. What they defended is the prestige of Catalan football: it's a luxury to have a top-level spectacle like this in our country.