Girona begins to complicate life. Míchel Sánchez has work to lift a team that has gone into a tailspin, in free fall and is already in the relegation zone: with the unappealable defeat in Almería, Montilivi's team has already accumulated five games without winning, four defeats and a draw in extremis and a penalty with Cádiz. That is to say, they have not won since September 9 (2-1 against Valladolid). And so permanence, a priority objective of the Catalans, becomes very difficult.
Míchel recalled a few weeks ago that Girona has the second smallest budget in the First Division, but that undeniable condition is not an obstacle to conceding a 2-0 lead at 17 minutes that struck down the Catalans. They were two goals against, which showed the defensive fragility of Girona, which failed again miserably.
The roles were clearly shared from the outset, with Girona taking the initiative in the game, with control of the ball and the will to move from side to side, while Almería chose to crouch down in their field, closing well behind and looking blatantly counter surprise with the speed of their bands. Thus, in these attitudes, the offer of Rubi's group had the upper hand. Basically, because Girona, unproductive and harmless, did not create danger no matter how much they had the ball. A deflected shot from Riquelme after 10 minutes was his only threat.
And, on the contrary, Almería, to see them coming, scared every time they went on the run. His first two approaches were two goals. The 1-0, by Leo Baptistao, finishing off a Mendes center with a header; and the 2-0 in a bad start by goalkeeper Juan Carlos and a worse understanding with Bernardo, who headed towards his goal for El Bilal Touré to finish off at will.
Thus, with 2-0 after 17 minutes, Almería played more comfortably with a gripped, fearful Girona, which was much more shrunk with Embarba's 3-1 in a superb free-kick from far away, from more than 30 meters , which entered like a howitzer through the square (m. 38). The goalkeeper Juan Carlos came out in the photo again.
After the break, Girona increased the intensity and cheered up with Riquelme's 3-1 (m. 47), on the counterattack, gently touching an assist from Miguel when Fernando came out. Immediately afterwards, Juan Carlos saved the 4-1 shot by Robertone and Santi Bueno had the 3-2 in a header that went wide.
The best opportunity to get into the game was Stuani from 9 meters (m. 78). De la Hoz committed a penalty on Bueno, the Uruguayan executed low to the left, Fernando guessed his intention and frustrated his streak of penalties without failure in the First Division. He stayed at 17.
The sauce did not end there, because Cuadra Fernández, after consulting the VAR, gave Stuani a second chance in a Houboulang penalty to Valery at the top of the area. The Uruguayan changed sides, adjusted the shot to the post and made it 3-2 with 8 minutes to seek a tie. Which were 15, because 7 were added.
In the last minute, the referee invalidated the 3-3 to Yangel Herrera, after reviewing the VAR again, due to the Venezuelan's failure to understand the referee who finished off the goalkeeper's rebound when he had the ball in his hand (in fact, already was on her). Míchel was outraged, but the sixth defeat and the relegation zone was no longer taken away from him.
Almeria: Ferdinand; Mendes, Ely, Babic, Akieme, Robertone (Portillo 83), De la Hoz, Melero (Ramazani 64), Baptistao (Samuel Costa 64), Embarba (Lázaro 72) and El Bilal Touré (Chumi 83).
Girona: Juan Carlos, Arnau (Yan Couto 69), Santi Bueno, Bernardo, Miguel Gutiérrez, Aleix García, Romeu, Yangel Herrera, Riquelme, Taty Castellanos (Manu Vallejo 69) and Stuani.
Referee: Yellow card to Yangel Herrera, Santi Bueno and Bernardo for Girona.
Goals: 1-0 Baptistao (14), 2-0 El Bilal Touré (17), 3-0 Embarba (38), 3-1 Riquelme (47), 3-2 Stuani, pen. (82)
Field: Power House Stadium in Almeria.
