In a match that was supposed to be easy for the surprising Girona, Míchel’s team fell to Mallorca. Again. Girona has entered a cyclothymic stage, tough in Montilivi, fragile away, a team that is easy for Mallorca to tie up. But, above all, Girona has lost football and faith, precisely against an uncomfortable rival, which has grown since it met Athletic in the Copa del Rey final.
1
Predrag Rajkovic, Copete, Giovanni González, Valjent (Nacho Vidal, min. 54), Lato, Raíllo, Omar Mascarell (Samuel Costa, min. 77), Dani (Darder, min. 68), Antonio Sánchez (Manu Morlanes, min. 54), Cyle Larin (Abdón Prats, min. 68) and Muriqi
0
Gazzaniga, Eric Garcia, Yan Couto, Juanpe, Miguel Gutierrez, Jhon Solís, Aleix García, Sávio, Iván Martín (Portu, min. 54), Tsygankov and Dovbyk
Goals 1-0 min. 33: Pompadour.
Referee Francisco José Hernández Maeso
Yellow cards Valjent (min. 37), Lato (min. 59), Omar Mascarell (min. 73), Giovanni González (min. 75) and Darder (min. 92)
Copete made it 1-0 and Javier Aguirre’s team controlled Girona for practically an hour. So, when they accused the work that accumulates in the legs, Michel’s team cornered the Balearic team. Nothing else happened. The resilience of the enthusiastic Mallorca brought down the hopes of Girona, who did not take advantage of Real Madrid’s draw on Saturday at Mestalla.
There was a football duel in Son Moix, which was presented as a fight of playing styles between Javier Aguirre’s team and Míchel’s, but there was also another emotional battle. The mood won. Girona tested its resistance in the fight for the title, that sweet chimera that it has begun to say goodbye to with practically no rebellion since it left the Santiago Bernabéu (4-0).
It happens, in any case, that Girona’s problem is not new: they have been suffering away from Montilivi for five games now. Since the draw against Almería (0-0), a match that Míchel himself acknowledged was too much of a reward for his boys, Girona has achieved only one victory away from home, against Celta. The rest, another draw and three defeats. And against Mallorca the dynamic away from home did not change. On the contrary, he sharpened it.
Mallorca had already shown him their cards in the Copa del Rey, when they threw him out in the quarterfinals in a frenetic match (3-2). It is precisely the Cup, the moral inflator of the Balearic team, which has stood in the final. In search of escaping from the bottom of the table, the Mallorcan team has found much more than an illusion in the Cup after having eliminated Real Sociedad in the penalty shootout last Tuesday at the Reale Arena. Aguirre’s men found extra motivation to forget their fatigue and fearlessly challenge one of the most intense teams in the League, Míchel’s Girona.
And this is how Javier Aguirre proposed the opening match. In an a priori reckless exercise, Mallorca came out to suffocate Girona when the ball was released, precisely one of the main virtues of the Catalan team. The match, then, began interestingly in Son Moix, in a one-on-one duel on all lines, until Girona managed to overcome the pressure and Mallorca retreated with as much speed as precision to cover the passing lines to Aleix García, Solís and Iván Martín.
And, when he stole the leather, Mallorca planted itself without too much difficulty in Gazzaniga’s area. In fact, in the first half, almost everything seemed dyed red in Mallorca, with practically no more trace in Girona’s attack than a weak header from Iván Martín than Rajkovic.
Meanwhile, Mallorca threatened Girona. First it was Muriqi, then Dani Rodríguez. None with as much certainty as when Copete made it 1-0. But there was suspense. The referee went through VAR to check whether Larin had handled the ball before he finished fiercely to beat Gazzaniga.
Nothing changed in Son Moix, Míchel’s team did not have the patience to move the ball, nor did it find the space for the ball to land on the boots of Yan Couto and Savinho on the wings, while Dovbyk fought and fought, although never with risk for Rajkovic.
Until Mallorca ran out of gasoline. It was then, from a restless Portu, when Girona threatened to equalize the duel. He stayed at that: in an attempt. In an exercise of effort and character, Aguirre’s team resisted. And, once again, they won against the sensational team of the League. This time to begin to move away from the bottom of the table and be eight points behind Cádiz, which marks the line of salvation. Girona, for its part, remains clinging to Europe. He seeks, however, to rediscover his football.
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