The latest results, their own and those of direct rivals, have reactivated a goal that seemed ruled out in Montilivi until just four days ago. The direct ascent, the one that would only become a reality from a miracle, in the textual words of Míchel Sánchez, has reappeared and has done so in the form of a tangible goal. Difficult, of course, but possible. At the same time, the chances of finishing in the play-offs have multiplied and now there are few who think that Girona will not be able to close the regular season among the top six. Believe it or not, considering that until a few months ago the team had settled in the relegation places by sounding the alarm for a disappointing and at the same time worrying start to the course.
What happened? That the trend has long been on the rise. The improvement has not been anecdotal, but sustained over time. This second round has done nothing but corroborate it. The positive results are piled up, either accompanied by good performances or without conveying too positive feelings, as happened on Friday with Malaga. The thing is, they win games and lose very few. That is why Girona are now fourth in the standings with 58 points and a considerable margin with seventh place, consolidating the options to finish the promotion.
After 34 games and with 8 left to finish the league, Girona is the second team with the best records of the entire second round. He has been able to score 27 points, a performance that only surpasses Eibar, which has reached 28. Valladolid has also won 27, while the main pursuers of this trident are already sailing a little further: the 22 from Oviedo and the 20 that Mirandés has obtained. The balance is very positive because from January until now, in this second section of the calendar, Michel’s team has won 8 of the 13 matches they have played: Huesca (0-1), Fuenlabrada (2-1), Ponferradina ( 3-0), Oviedo (2-1), Las Palmas (1-3), Ibiza (5-1), Almeria (0-1) and Malaga (1-0). He has drawn 3: Lugo (1-1), Valladolid (2-2) and Leganés (1-1). And the defeats? Only 2: Amorebieta (1-0) and Eibar (0-1). In this second round, the team has scored 22 goals (of which it has scored the most) and has conceded only 10 (the least, following in the footsteps of Burgos).
With a trajectory like the one it has led so far, Montilivi’s team has been able to add 69.2 percent of the points at stake in the last 13 games. An even better average of 65.1 percent of the entire second round last season, when the then-Francisco-led set chained up to seven wins. He then collected 41 points out of 63. He now has 27 points, so he needs 14 to match that record. With some more in the basket, he will overcome it. Another fact. The current numbers are much better than those of Michel accumulated over the first part of the calendar. Because from day 1 to 21, after beating Burgos, Girona had scored 31 points. Less than half: 49.2 percent. The improvement, therefore, is obvious. And the roof?
