Girona lost the opportunity to separate from Real Madrid! Everything was decided by the world champion’s super goal

Girona lost the opportunity to separate from Real Madrid! Everything was decided by the world champion’s super goal

Nikita Paglazov December 21, 2023, 23:20 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.

Ancelotti’s team can catch up with the Blaugrana after the next match.

Girona continues to make history. After 17 days of First Division, the modest Catalan club leads the standings, with two points ahead of Real Madrid and six points ahead of Barça. Ángel Michel’s team faced a very complicated trip to Betis, so Girona was able to separate itself from its rivals. But it does not work.

Betis has gone 12 games without losing. Girona’s unbeaten streak before the start of the match was nine games. Solid series. This added curiosity: how the teams prepared for each other. At the beginning of the match, Betis and Girona watched carefully and maintained a slow pace. Girona had the ball more times, but there were no chances. But Betis created several chances in a short period of time starting in the 15th minute. Ajosé Pérez, Aitor Ruibal and Willian José missed their chances: in the first two the ball went wide and in the third the visiting goalkeeper Gassaniga saved. Interestingly, both clubs made forced changes in the first half. Ruibal entered Betis instead of Bellerín, and Juanpe entered Girona instead of López. And it was the defender who came on to replace the home side who “caused” the penalty. Ruibal committed a foul on Savio in the area and in the 39th minute Girona forward Artem Dovbik opened the scoring, separating the ball and the goalkeeper safely converting the penalty.

Artyom Dovbik

Photo: Fran Santiago/Getty Images

Result of the first half: Betis did not look worse than the leader of the Examples, they did not know how to take advantage of several chances and only conceded a penalty. And in the second 45 minutes the situation became even more radical. Betis went more actively on the attack. The locals did not create many scoring chances, but they managed to pin down Girona. Although he didn’t bring anything. Betis coach Mauricio Pellegrini sent attacking players onto the field, but it had no effect.

It is not in vain that Girona is the leader of La Liga. The club managed to switch to defensive mode: in such difficult matches it is important to be able to score points. But Betis saved the standard! Already in the 88th minute, after a corner kick, the ball rolled around the Girona area, finally bouncing into the hands of Germán Pesselier. The Argentine defender of the hosts (2022 world champion) fired a great long-distance shot into the top corner. 1:1 – and the mood of the guests changed drastically.

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Nobody managed to score in the remaining minutes. Girona lost important points in the fight for gold. Real Madrid, if they win the next match, will reach the Catalans in the table. However, Girona extended its unbeaten streak to 10 games. Betis did not lose for the thirteenth consecutive time, although the team is still only in seventh place.

By the way, Girona will have a very difficult home game against Atlético in the next round. If the Catalans take points away from Madrid, it will be a good sign for the fight for the Championship. If not, it will be said that Girona has “sailed”.

Girona has great examples of sensational champions:

Fabulous Leicester and stellar Monaco. Champions of the 5 best leagues that stole the title from the giants