Vladyslav Vanat and Girona are left without a happy ending due to a careless decision in injury time.

GironaA careless penalty in stoppage time by Blind prevented Girona from winning for the first time in La Liga. But in the 1-1 draw against Celta Vigo, one aspect prevailed above all others. Take note of his name: Vladyslav Vanat. The striker, signed on the last day of the transfer window, made the bench stand out at Balaídos on his debut in the red and white shirt. He's Ukrainian, like Artem Dovbyk, the last unknown to make an impact at Montilivi and who became the top scorer two leagues ago. Dovbyk, who would have scored 24 goals, took eight minutes to score on his debut; Vanat needed twelve, just four more. He did it easily and without much thought, with two touches, both with his right foot, one to orient himself and the other to make Radu's stretch useless. In twelve minutes, in fact, Vanat has already scored half of the goals Miovski scored—two—last year in the league. It's a good color. It's a shame about the ending, but at least the team no longer has zero points in the standings.

As life goes, Girona had the Catalan striker who had fancied them at the beginning of the summer, Ferran Jutglà, ahead of them. The player from Sant Julià de Vilatorta was keen to play in Montilivi, but the return wasn't reciprocated. Jutglà was one of the reasons why the result in Vigo was a challenge, as he kept trying; fortunately for Girona's interests, he wasn't sharp. And when he did, he found himself facing the controversial Paulo Gazzaniga, who remained in the starting eleven despite Livakovic's arrival and the errors in the opening match of the season. The Argentine, who saved the tie long before it was a given, looked confident and quick-thinking, accompanied by an overall improvement in defense, in which Vitor Reis and Blind formed a good partnership.

Ounahi, the other newcomer

The step forward has been universal. Míchel, apart from starting Vanat, also dared to place a hyperactive Ounahi in midfield, alongside Witsel and Iván Martín. The trident has multiplied, like the odometer. The Moroccan has shown signs of being a good replacement for Yangel Herrera, the most important asset the dressing room has lost. The fact that he scored so early also dispelled fears: Girona had yet to take the lead in a matchday, and doubts flourished without restraint. Against Celta, he didn't completely forget them, with a rather cruel ending, but their self-esteem was boosted.

The much more serious image was accentuated by how the players were biting at every opportunity. The visible example, which until now had already been there, is Joel Roca, who was withdrawn at halftime after finishing the first half with a knock. The peasant was the only player to find the net, an honor he shares with Vanat after a brilliant performance. Blind anticipated Jutglà's pressure, Iván Martín created a tremendous assist, and the Ukrainian finished with elegance. The home side called for a foul on the Dutch center-back during the recovery. To ask for it not to be left.

Gazzaniga continued his string of saves in the closing stages and providentially deflected a shot from Mingueza. And the Girona team, which forgave the penalty on some counterattacks, held firm until Blind's hasty save, who made no mistake about Borja Iglesias. However, Girona has reason for hope again with their second crush on a Ukrainian striker in three years.