This Saturday, Girona sealed its historic qualification for the next Champions League with a brilliant victory against Barcelona (4-2) after coming back in the Montilivi Catalan derby which, in addition, served to regain second place and rekindle the umpteenth dream of the Míchel Sánchez’s team, the Spanish Super Cup, and to give the champion title to Real Madrid.
The local team, undefeated in Montilivi since September, immersed in the best year of its life, just fourth in the elite, achieved its fifteenth victory in front of its fans in 18 home games with a comeback in ten minutes of the second half with a double by Portu and a goal by Miguel Gutiérrez, after goals in the first half by Andreas Christensen, Artem Dovbyk and Robert Lewandowski.
Girona revalidated the 4-2 of the first round and has 74 points to Barça’s 73 with 12 remaining.
The game got off to a fast-paced start and saw two goals in the first five minutes. Barça opened the scoring in the 3rd minute: Christensen, on the edge of the area, controlled a ball from Lamine Yamal with his chest and without letting it touch the green, he put together a shot close to Paulo Gazzaniga’s right post, impossible for the Argentine goalkeeper. .
The local response was immediate (min. 4). Iván Martín ran down the left flank of the attack, left Ronald Araújo on the ground and sent a cross into the area, Dovbyk’s territory. The Ukrainian striker rose through the Barça defense and, with a header, celebrated his twentieth goal to maintain the gap with Real Madrid’s Englishman Jude Bellingham (18) in the scoring table.
But Barça continued to take the initiative and accumulate chances. Before today’s fourth, Ilkay Gundogan, Fermín López, Sergi Roberto and again Christensen could have scored in a corner in which Gazzaniga, providential, rejected his header on the line.
Girona, usually dominating, looked trapped in their half of the field, but did not seem completely uncomfortable because they have weapons to do damage in transition. Sávio Moreira bothered Jules Koundé, who was booked before the half hour mark. He couldn’t stop him.
The locals, growing, also cherished the goal. Via Tsygankov, new to the eleven like Sergi Roberto. Xavi’s bet on four midfielders, despite giving up Raphinha, worked because Barça reached 65% possession in the first half.
The 1-2 could have fallen on a header from Gundogan that crashed against the crossbar and came in added time (45+1′), in a penalty committed by Miguel Gutiérrez when he slipped and fell on Lamine Yamal and signaled by Hernández Hernández at the request of of the VAR. Lewandowski cheated on Gazzaniga.
The second act started as the first ended, but Iván Martín failed to pass on a counterattack and was unable to connect with Dovbyk, only against Marc-André ter Stegen.
Míchel’s team came out ready to advance lines, assuming the risk that the game would break down. That’s how it went. Barça, with space, was able to end the duel before the hour mark, but Lamine Yamal did not find Lewandowski and then Joao Cancelo shot badly against Gazzaniga.
Míchel then redoubled his offensive commitment with the entry of Portu for David López, a center back. And the effect was instantaneous. He hadn’t been on the pitch for even a minute when Dovbyk received a back pass from Sergi Roberto, a fatal mistake. The man from Reus gave him the ball so that he could restore the tie, as he pleased.
It was 2-2 in the 65th minute and in the 67th it was 3-2: Portu ran down the wing in the umpteenth transition and put the ball in the area for Miguel, a winger on paper. His shot was a goal after bouncing off Koundé.
Xavi turned to Pedri and Raphinha, but the afternoon belonged to Portu. He understood a change of play by Sávio as an assist and from the edge of the area he finished with a volley to unleash the euphoria in Montilivi with one of the best goals in LaLiga. In nine minutes he celebrated two goals and an assist.
Montilivi, turned into a party, even allowed itself to applaud Oriol Romeu on the day of his return to the Girona stadium. In 85′ the wave was already making. And in added time I would have celebrated the 5-2, from Dovbyk or Yangel Herrera, if it weren’t for Ter Stegen. It didn’t matter: he celebrated his qualification for the next Champions League.
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