Wednesday, November 27, 2024, 8:42 p.m.
Girona’s ‘Déjà vu’ in the Champions League. As happened before against PSG, Feyenoord or PSV, Míchel’s team deserved more against Sturm Graz based on their territorial control with the ball, but they once again paid dearly for their lack of forcefulness in attack and especially an alarming fragility defensive, squeezed to the maximum by an a priori affordable rival, who had not scored in the competition to date, but who led the Catalan team to a miracle with Biereth’s solitary goal.
Once again Girona took to the pitch ready to subdue a very reticent team through ball control. However, it was difficult for him to generate opportunities, with a deflected shot from Miovski being the best option at the beginning. Boving countered, but Gazzaniga saved.
The match was lacking spark and Bryan Gil, electric and skilled, with all his might included the goalkeeper, provided the goal on a plate to Iván Martín, who kicked it out with everything in his favour. It is difficult to explain the Basque midfielder’s mistake, one of those that is remembered with bitterness when the result is not good.
Storm Graz
Khudiakov, Gazibegovic, Aiwu, Geyrhofer, Lavallée, Yalcouye (Horvat, min. 65), Chukwuani, Boving (Hierländer, min. 90), Kiteishvili, Biereth (Stankovic, min. 76) y Jatta (Yardimci, min. 65).
1
–
0
Girona
Gazzaniga, Francés (Jhon Solís, min. 73), Juanpe, Krejci, Blind (Danjuma, min. 67), Miguel Gutiérrez, Oriol Romeu, Iván Martín (Asprilla, min. 52), Tsygankov (Abel Ruiz, min. 73) , Miovski (Stuani, min. 67) and Bryan Gil.
-
Gol:
1-0: min. 59, Biereth. -
Arbitrator:
Rohit Saggi (Norway). He cautioned Gazibegovic and Bryan Gil. -
Incidences:
Match of the fifth day of the Champions League played at the Wörthersee Stadion.
The Catalan team redoubled its commitment to circulation, but the risk that it always takes when launching the ball close was to make it profitable for Boving, who was overtaken by Oriol Romeu to prevent a comfortable shot. As has been evident throughout the tournament, Girona once again lacked the fang, also after passing through the locker room.
All the red-and-white danger was concentrated in Bryan’s overflow, capable of introducing another gear in his team’s predictable ball handling. However, he barely threatened the debutant Khudiakov’s frame and on the other hand, he fit into the first option that Sturm Graz gave. Too many facilities for Jatta’s shot and soft hands from Gazzaniga, which left Biereth with a candy that the Dane did not waste.
Already forced to the epic, Girona could not be denied the will to rebel in the face of adversity. They surrounded the Austrian area and accumulated corner kicks. However, it was an outburst with much ado about nothing, as it barely generated a header from the veteran Stuani solved by Khudiakov. Little argument to avoid stumbling where there was no room. With only three points under their belt, Míchel’s team has no choice but to achieve a big haul against three giants like Liverpool, Milan and Arsenal.
