Girona's victory slips away in a crazy stoppage time in Seville

GironaWatching Girona is quite entertaining. Their matches lack a set script: anything can happen. In Seville, in the match that had to be postponed yesterday due to the storm MartenThey salvaged a 1-1 draw that left a bitter taste, as they had victory within their grasp several times. They found themselves leading 1-0 in stoppage time, having protected the result like a precious treasure and squandering numerous chances. They were still winning, however, until a slip by Echeverri in the 92nd minute, when he had the ball under control and only needed to clear it, allowed Kike Salas to score a stunning goal. The frustration gave way to hope with a penalty in the 98th minute. Míchel quickly brought on Stuani, who was on the bench, but the Uruguayan was denied by Vlachodimos, the true hero of the match.

Míchel's team showed two sides: one beautiful and another more timid, which ultimately cost them. They initially recalled their glory days, playing like angels in the first half. They only lacked the finishing touch, but ahead of them was Vlachodimos, the only player who performed at the level of a home side that was punished with whistles from the stands. Girona isolated themselves from the tense atmosphere of the Pizjuán and focused on doing what they did when everything was going well. They dominated Sevilla from their superiority in midfield thanks to the confidence gained from scoring on their first attack.

Three years had passed since Lemar's last goal, when the Frenchman let out a roar of rage after a cross-shot that capped off a great team move. Girona had a blast, passing and passing, now here, now there, making runs and escaping their opponents. As Míchel used to say in seasons that seemed long forgotten: playing like they were in the street. Girona, playing at a higher tempo than the opposite, dominated and danced around the pitch, with an excellent Arnau – who theoretically occupied Àlex Moreno's position at left-back, but was everywhere – the aforementioned Lemar, and Iván Martín – whose position was untouchable. But as is often the case in the street, if you lose focus, you're done for.

The Gazzaniga effect

This coincided with Gazzaniga's return to the starting eleven. The Argentine almost resumed the game exactly as he left it, with a clean sheet and a victory. The spotlight was stolen by his fellow professional, Vlachodimos, who frustrated Bryan Gil, Tsygankov, Vanat, and Fran Beltrán. The latter two were also injured. If Girona had gone into halftime with a 0-4 lead, no one would have complained. It had been a long time since the Girona side had played so well, but they ended the half looking completely bewildered.

Since they couldn't find a way through, they had to rely on experience to secure the points in a final stretch with less creative spark. Sevilla pushed forward, especially thanks to Mauypay's tenacity. But while the midfield was brilliant at the beginning, the defense overshadowed them in the end. Vitor Reyes and Blind led this attack, which Míchel fueled with fresh legs, bringing on Witsel first and then Francés. They practically had it wrapped up, but then came the crazy ending: Echeverri slipped, Kike Salas made it 1-1, and Stuani, who came on in a typical handball substitution, missed the penalty that would have made it 1-2. Unbelievable.