Girona take major step towards safety after shutting down Villarreal

Girona take major step towards safety after shutting down Villarreal Girona 1-0 Villarreal Girona took a major step towards securing their spot in La Liga next season with a win over high-flying Villarreal on Monday night at Montilivi. The Catalan side looked certain to be dragged into the dogfight in the first half of the season, but traditional wisdom would suggest they are just a single victory from safety. The game started off relatively open, with both sides coming forward with purpose.

A last-ditch challenge from Daley Blind halted Gerard Moreno when it looked as if he would score, while Girona flashed a couple of crosses along the six-yard box. Michel Sanchez had to rejig his plans early on after Vladyslav Vanat was forced off with injury, Abel Ruiz coming on to replace him. It was Azzedine Ounahi and Viktor Tsygankov who were conducting the majority of attacks for the home side.

Down the right flank came the opening goal on the stroke of half-time, with right-back Arnau Martinez pulling the ball back from the by-line. Pau Navarro got in the way of it, but could only deflect it beyond Luiz Junior and into his own net. Villarreal held at arm’s length by Girona Without completely giving up on attacking intent, Girona set about doing their best to nullify Villarreal in the second half.

While Georges Mikautadze and Moreno looked intimidating when they got on the ball in dangerous positions, and Nicolas Pepe saw plenty of the ball, Villarreal seemed incapable of getting their shots off. The midfield trio of Axel Witsel, Fran Beltran and Ivan Martin for Girona was constantly busy, and when Girona did get the ball, they ensured that they lost it after spells of possession, and in positions where it was acceptable to do so. The onslaught from Marcelino Garcia Toral’s side never really arrived, and when Girona manager Michel punched the air at the final whistle, there was a sense of impotency from Villarreal, and control from the home side.