Girona could only get one point at the Benito Villamarín… but it tastes good. After a tough preseason, the Girona team showed that it has the resources to dream of a good season. There are still signings missing (which will come), but the team showed character. and a more than good second half where the substitutes revolutionized the game to end up tying it. In the end, the match could have gone either way. Misehouy, making his debut with a goal, Bryan Gil and Almena, were the standouts in the match.
Bartra made the matter very difficult
Things weren’t looking too good when Bartra rose higher than anyone else at the near post and beat Gazzaniga in the first offensive play of the match. The good news was that the whole match was still to come. The bad news was that the ghosts of the tough pre-season were awakening. Girona didn’t respond badly, though, to that goal from Betis. Without yet having the finesse in the game or that important final pass, But Míchel’s team was gaining consistency in the match.
There were very few chances for Girona, apart from what Bryan Gil, by far the most active of the Girona players in the first half, could offer. However, the most important opportunity was to come from Betis, with an error by Arnau Martínez when moving the ball out, which Gazzaniga managed to control.
Míchel tried to have his say from the sidelines, also during the hydration break. He wanted more spark, more speed both with and without the ball… Betis also did not prove to be a very reliable team at the back. The game was completely open, because that’s what both teams wanted, more concerned with attacking than defending.
An improved Girona
After the break, the game had little to do with the game. Girona raised the pace in search of a reaction and, led by an insistent Bryan Gil, the team improved. Abel Ruiz, with a shot off the post, warned Betis that a comeback was in the air. Pellegrini’s team also had their chances, but more due to Girona’s fault than to Betis’ good work.
With the game looking like it was going crazy, Míchel made some changes. Almena and Misehouy came to the fore and together they created the equaliser. The youth player danced around Perraud and the Dutchman only had to push it in. From then on, the game was totally crazy. Chimy Ávila hit the crossbar with a volley, Stuani could have made it 1-2 and Misehouy, once again, took advantage of a great cross from Miguel and was also close to scoring. In the end, Míchel brought on Krejci to seal a point that, given the first half and the preseason the team had been through, feels more like glory.