The team that most tests the hearts of its fans

GironaStrong emotions are intense psychological and physiological reactions such as fear, extreme joy, anger, or amazement, often experienced in high-risk situations, adventures, or significant life changes. It's said that these experiences activate the nervous system, release adrenaline, and generate a feeling of alertness or intense pleasure. Almost 100% of those who attend a Girona match wholeheartedly agree with these statements, knowing full well the stakes they face when the weekend arrives and their team takes to the pitch. In 2026, Míchel's team, along with Elche, has decided the most matches, for better or for worse, after the 85th minute. Up to 5 of the 10 matches they've played since the start of the new year—half of them—have tested the hearts of the fans, who are already accustomed to heart-stopping moments in recent seasons. Because nobody ever knows what's going to happen in a Girona match, which can even lead to surreal comebacks or events that would be illogical elsewhere, just when the game seems settled. At Montilivi, no one can take anything for granted before the final whistle, because there are enough historical precedents to remind us of the famous saying, "Don't say wheat until it's in the sack and tightly tied." They know this well in Girona.

This paranormal dynamic has intensified in recent weeks, because the final minutes have altered the score in 5 of the last 7 matches, increasing the percentage to 72%. On January 26, Vitor Reis equalized against Getafe in the 94th minute; on February 8, Girona conceded Sevilla's equalizer in the 92nd minute, and to add fuel to the fire, Stuani missed a penalty in the 98th; On February 16th, Fran Beltrán secured the victory in the Catalan derby against Barça in the 86th minute; on February 23rd, Montilivi witnessed Alavés equalize in the 89th minute; and on March 7th, in the final matchday, Joel Roca earned a crucial point in the away game against Levante in the 94th minute. It's been non-stop.

In fact, so far this season, and considering only stoppage time, Girona would be the second team whose scoreline has been most frequently altered, having had it happen in 6 of the 27 matches played. Osasuna has more with seven, and Girona has the same number as Levante. This Saturday they host Athletic Club at Montilivi (2 pm, DAZN), in an important match considering the tough schedule they will soon face. The six-point cushion above the relegation zone isn't bad, but they may have missed an opportunity to create a bigger cushion given how the last few matches have unfolded.

Traumatic Endings

Even counting your fingers and toes wouldn't be enough to recall all the times Girona has narrowly won matches in professional football over the last two decades. At Montilivi, they've suffered unbearable traumas, such as Lugo's 92nd-minute equalizer on the final day of the 2014/15 season that snatched promotion to La Liga, Bardhi's 86th-minute strike for Levante that relegated them to the Segunda División in 2019, or Pere Milla's goal. play-off of promotion to the elite in 2020 that prevented them from returning to the top flight. These three are the most talked about, but there are more.

There have also been positive ones, of course. The Girona stadium released all the tension it had been holding back with Kiko Ratón's famous penalty against Murcia in stoppage time on the final matchday of the 2009-10 season. Until the Canary Islander's equalizer in the 93rd minute, it was the only possibility out of seven hundred that existed for relegation to Segunda B. Girona has also been able to completely overturn a scoreline in extra time: it was against Albacete in 2021, when Sylla and Stuani, all 9 goals, scored in the 9th minute.

Not all matches, however, are decided by goals. In 2014, in Ponferrada, a strike by Becerra in the 94th minute secured their place in the Second Division. The club's general manager at the time, Javier Pequeño, would say, "I didn't want to watch the game, I went for a walk." He wasn't the only one.