On 27 September, one of the matches of the 7th round of the Spanish football championship took place. Villarreal (Spain) and Girona (Spain) met.
Spanish Championship, 7th round
Villarreal (Spain) - Girona (Spain) - 1:2 (0:0)
Goals: Parejo (49) - Dovbik (56), Eric Garcia (61).
Warnings: Pino (16), Herrera (58), Baena (87), Miguel Gutierrez (90+1), B. Brereton Diaz (90+1).
In a fierce La Liga encounter at the Estadio de la Ceramica stadium, Villarreal and Girona met, both looking to win. The match ended with Girona's unexpected comeback to win 2-1. The first half was played in tight defence by both teams, resulting in the match ending goalless. However, the game was far from boring: a few sharp moments increased the tension on the pitch. In the 16th minute, Villarreal's Y. Pino received a yellow card, indicative of the physicality that characterised the match. Both teams showed their desire to take control of the game, leading to violent clashes and frequent exchanges of the ball. The deadlock was finally broken in the 49th minute when a penalty was awarded against Villarreal. D. Parejo, coming on as a substitute, calmly converted the penalty and put his team ahead. The home fans burst with joy, anticipating a possible victory for their team, but Girona immediately made two substitutions. A. Martinez and I. Martin replaced Y. Kouto and Porto respectively, trying to turn the tide of the match. The effect was almost immediate: in the 56th minute A. Dovbyk scored the decisive goal, levelling the score in favour of Girona. In the 58th minute, Girona player Y. Herrera received a yellow card, which once again confirmed the tension and competitive nature of the match. Villarreal quickly made substitutions, hoping to regain control of the situation. Y. Pino replaced I. Ahomacha, and E. Capoue was replaced by R. Terrata.
However, the break in the game came at the expense of Girona. In the 61st minute E. Garcia took advantage of a mistake in defence and put the ball into the net, giving his team a deserved advantage. Villarreal tried desperately to equalise, but Girona held firm, not giving their opponents any real chances. Both teams continued to make substitutions in search of an advantage. In the 69th minute, Girona replaced A. Dovbik with K. Stuani. Stuani, and in the 78th minute Villarreal introduced into the game R. Albiol and J.L. Morales instead of M. Gabbia and B. Brereton Diaz. Towards the end of the match the tension in the game increased. On 87 minutes A. Baena (Villarreal) received a series of yellow cards, on 90 minutes - M. Gutierrez (Girona) and B. Brereton Diaz (Villarreal). In the remaining time, both teams made their final substitutions. Villarreal substituted D. Parejo for M. Trigueros, and Girona - V. Tsygankov for E. Garcia. In the 90th minute D. Blind came on as a substitute for Girona, adding freshness to the defensive line. As a result, Girona came out victorious, using the advantage of the second half and won a memorable 2-1 victory over Villarreal. This result demonstrated the unpredictability of football and was a reminder that no victory is safe. This match was a testament to the competitive nature of La Liga, where every match is fiercely contested and can turn in any team's favour. Both Villarreal and Girona showed their fighting spirit and athleticism that make football such an exciting sport.
In the next round the following matches await the rivals: Getafe - Villarreal, Girona - Real Madrid.
| Villarreal | Girona | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Kicks to the goal | 5 |
| 13 | Kicks | 17 |
| 5 | Blocked shots | 3 |
| 10 | Penalty kicks | 13 |
| 3 | Penalty kicks | 4 |
| 9 | Offences | 11 |
| 5 | Corner | 6 |
| 3 | Offsides | 0 |
| 53% | Ball possession | 47% |
| 3 | Yellow cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red cards | 0 |
| 3 | Keeper saves | 2 |
| 445 | Total assists | 396 |
| 396 | Accurate assists | 351 |
| 89% | Accuracy of passes | 89% |