Girona found success again by beating the new Valladolid led by Cocca. The Catalans triumphed thanks to goals from David López, Abel Ruiz and Danjuma, thus ending 2024 with three essential points and bringing back good feelings in a match that promised to be crucial for both teams.
Montilivi tested the nearly 10,000 fans in attendance, who received warmth in the form of goals, after several matches in which the team had struggled to score. Míchel's men dominated their opponents, who had arrived in Catalonia with the aim of achieving their second victory in a row.
Both coaches chose a formation with five defenders, but the two formations showed very different structures. The 'gironins', masters of ball possession, adopted an approach full of movements and decidedly non-defensive. Four of the five defenders were able to attack, creating concerns for the Valladolid players. Even though there were no key opportunities in the first half, the home team's goal seemed only a matter of time, also considering a possible penalty not reviewed for a foul by Juma on Abel Ruiz, who returned to the starting lineup. Neither Gonzalez Fuertes nor Pizarro Gómez detected any irregularities, although the contact was evident. However, Girona scored in a curious way: a foul on the edge of the area kicked by Miguel accidentally hit David López's private parts, deflecting the ball towards the top corner of the goal defended by Hein (32'). After moments of uncertainty, the goal was finally validated.
The most exciting moments for the 'blanc-i-vermells' were unforgettable. Even though they opened the scoring, they didn't give up even a single step. Shortly after, with constant pressure, Miguel delivered a cross that was converted into the net by Abel Ruiz in the 39th minute. The Valencian player finally ended his goal drought, also thanks to an error by the opposing goalkeeper. Before the break, an unexpected episode occurred: during a Valladolid counterattack, an assistant referee hit Míchel, who was near the touchline. Míchel apologized to his partner who suffered the blow, but it all remained just a bad scare.
The second half did not offer any particular points of interest. The locals maintained control of the game while Valladolid players failed to make any significant changes. There were no dangerous actions until almost the seventieth minute. In the 67th minute the first shot arrived from the guests, who seemed to have woken up from a long torpor. After several passes and without rushing, Girona scored their third goal; a backward pass from Arnau allowed Danjuma to score, thus marking his debut in the 'Gironina' shirt. With an atmosphere of Christmas carols, recovery has also arrived. After two minutes of injury time, Girona found their smile again for the holidays, after three league games without a win, taking advantage of a Valladolid team that did not show a performance up to its category.
Related News :