The super Girona has lost some steam, stuck this time in Almería, a small team that doesn't play anything, it seems moribund, but it still fights.
The best version of Girona has not appeared, but rather a more earthly one, contained and even resentful, not very vertical, not very committed to the bottom team's field. It's curious. Almería has not won any game so far this year, only one has Girona lost (in Montilivi, against Madrid), but this time it has been the people of Almeria who have come closest to victory, needy as they are.
Even more curious: even playing an earthly match, Girona will close the week as leader of LaLiga.
He hasn't given the show much of himself. No contender has displayed the best of himself.
At the Power House Stadium there was a match without identity, without order or story, also without goals. There have been no significant actions in any frame, and the only one that has occurred has resulted in the expulsion of Aleix Garcia, already ten minutes from the end: Ramazani left, nothing to do with the substituted Embarba, when he handed over Melero at the front of the area, where Aleix Garcia knocks him down.
There is no debate for the direct red, in the same way that there is still no debate in that final stretch. Almería appears as harmless as Girona is indolent, and it seems that the draw is enough: one point and they lead the tournament, waiting for the next matchday.
Michel, the architect of this super Girona, is desperate on the sideline, shaking the bench like someone shaking a tree. He removes Valery, Pablo Torre and a shrunken Yan Couto from the field. He even removes Dobvyk, like Haaland in the Ukrainian style, and shows off his wardrobe. Tsygankov, Stuani, Sávio, Jhon Solís come in, what a bench, and Girona takes the lead in the last half hour.
Everything he has not done until then he tries to do now, perhaps comfortable, perhaps too self-indulgent.
Savinho likes it, he brings everything that Valery hasn't brought, he combines with Miguel Gutiérrez on the left lane, but Miguel doesn't have the day either. Sometimes he rushes, and in the last moments, when he puts more pressure on his team, he chooses the worst option: he shoots when he had a free man at the penalty spot, and Michel, on the bench, curses himself.
-But what are you doing, uncle? -you read the technician's lips.
Girona shows confusing features, which cannot beat the bottom team, 43 points separate them from each other, and they stumble when the season begins to go uphill. He is a leader, he eventually is, but so many obstacles generate suspicions. Have you peaked and run out, or is one day just one day?
"I think it's a positive point, a clean sheet and with one less player, it was still difficult for us to connect," says their goalkeeper, Gazzaniga, determined to close the debate in this way.
Almería: Maximiano, Pubill (Ramazani 68'), César Montes (Kaiky 83'), Edgar (Pozo 62'), Chumi, Akieme, Lopy, Robertone, Arribas (Luis Suárez 83'), Embarba (Melero 68') and Leo Baptistao.
Girona: Gazzaniga, Arnau, Juanpe, Blind, Miguel Gutiérrez, Aleix García, Iván Martín, Yan Couto (Tsygankov 56'), Pablo Torre (Solís 56'), Valery (Savinho 66') and Dovbyk (Stuani 66').
Referee: Busquets Ferrer (Catalan). He sent off the visitor Aleix García with a direct red card. He admonished the locals Baptistao, Akieme, César Montes; and the visitors Valery, Juanpe and Arnau.
Incidents: 12,111 spectators at the Power Horse Stadium.
