Girona and Celta de Vigo battled to a thrilling 2-2 draw on Saturday afternoon at Estadi Montilivi, as both teams aimed to bolster their prospects for European qualification.
The match served as Girona's fourth consecutive game without victory, compounding their struggles to maintain form after suffering three straight losses. Celta, on the other hand, continued their unbeaten streak, yet were left to rue missed chances which could have seen them take all three points.
From the outset, both sides aimed to impose their style on the match, but it was Girona who struck first. Ukrainian forward Viktor Tsygankov found the net early on, scoring the opener just 21 minutes in. Following Oriol Romeu's shot ricocheting off the post, Tsygankov was quick to react and slotted the ball home for the 1-0 lead.
Celta answered back, equalizing with just nine minutes remaining to halftime. Iker Losada took advantage of Girona's defensive disorder, converting Sergio Carreira's cross to put the score at 1-1.
Things went from bad to worse for the home side early in the second half. An ill-timed challenge by Girona's David López on Alfon González led to Celta being awarded a penalty. Marcos Alonso stepped up to convert the spot-kick effortlessly, putting Celta 2-1 up just four minutes after the break.
Despite the setback, Girona did not fold and fought back with resilience. The turning point came just past the hour mark when Yangel Herrera equalized for Girona, scoring from close range after connecting with another corner delivered by Tsygankov. The timing of this goal, which came at the 68-minute mark, breathed new life back onto the pitch.
The closing stages of the match saw opportunities for both sides. Girona’s chances included efforts from Bryan Gil and the recently brought on Cristian Stuani. Celta also threatened, with attempts from Alfon who tested Girona's goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.
Despite several promising plays, neither team could clinch the win, ensuring the game ended with both clubs leaving Montilivi with just the one point. Analysis from the match suggested Girona's continued difficulty to string together wins means they now find themselves with only three victories from their last seventeen across all competitions, leaving them 13th on the La Liga table.
Looking forward, Girona’s manager Míchel Sánchez highlighted the need for improvement to reclaim their position among the top half of the league. Meanwhile, Celta's Claudio Giráldez left the encounter disappointed after losing the chance to clinch the game, emphasizing their need to remain vigilant to secure victories away from home.
The draw leaves Girona with unresolved questions about their form heading toward the final stretch of the season, as Celta misses yet another opportunity to gain ground on their closest rivals. For fans of both teams, it demonstrated their clubs still possess attacking flair, though they have much work to do to convert draws to wins.