Girona rubs the lamp in Mallorca and escapes relegation.

GironaEvery year, good intentions emerge. Some resolve to join a gym, others vow to quit smoking this time, and some even promise to save money. Girona, however, wants to win matches. They want to turn things around because it's essential if they hope to stay in La Liga. They achieved this in their opening match of 2026 in Mallorca, thanks to the Ukrainian duo of Tsygankov and Vanat (1-2). Their goals lifted Girona out of the relegation zone.

Hours earlier, however, Girona fans trembled when they saw on television that their best player, Azzedine Ounahi, was arriving at the Africa Cup of Nations match against Morocco on crutches and with a splint on his left leg. The injury, which occurred on Saturday during the previous training session, is to his soleus muscle and could be serious: initial estimates suggest he will be out for six to eight weeks. This was the last thing Míchel's team needed.

One player who hasn't changed his ways is Tsygankov, who, in the Moroccan's absence, assumed responsibility at a critical moment, as he had already done at the end of 2015. He scored the goals in the last two victories for Girona, against Alavés and Real Sociedad, and for Mallorca. The Ukrainian received the ball on the wing, cut diagonally towards the edge of the penalty area, and from there unleashed a powerful shot that sailed over the forest of opposing legs, leaving goalkeeper Leo Román with no chance.

The 0-1 scoreline was a reward for a good first half from Girona, especially in terms of intent. They brought together skillful players who were on fire, such as Lemar and Iván Martín. And in attack, they waited for someone to produce a moment of magic. It could have been Bryan Gil, but it was Tsygankov, who in the first play of the second half almost scored again with another precise shot. This time, Leo Román made the save.

Pressure doesn't faze Gazzaniga

Earlier, Mallorca had already threatened. They did so after just twenty seconds, with a solo run by Jan Virgili that Muriqi couldn't quite reach. But the clearest chance fell to Samu Costa, saved by Gazzaniga, who becomes imperious when he senses his future might lie elsewhere. When Girona signed Livakovic, he embarked on a series of good performances that prevented the Croatian from taking his place. Now that Ter Stegen is rumored to be a potential winter signing, he's once again shining.

With their narrow lead, they had to hold on, and Girona dug deep. Lemar and Witsel, with a shot that hit the crossbar, came close to a second goal, and Asano nearly equalized, only to have his effort ruled out for a marginal offside. However, unlike usual, Míchel's men decided they would avoid suffering for too long. They would only do so during stoppage time, after Muriqi pulled one back from the penalty spot. In the 63rd minute, a through ball from Bryan Gil left Vanat one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and Leo Román could only stop him by fouling him. The Ukrainian converted the penalty perfectly, confirming that, for the first time since August, Girona would spend the night outside the relegation zone at the end of a matchday. Their good intentions have paid off.