The Girona light show in Montilivi never seems to have shadows. And even less so if the strong Girona native protects him, with a sudden hat-trick from the Ukrainian giant Artem Dovbyk, and with the same from his compatriot Viktor Tsygankov. Sevilla dared to look at Gazzaniga’s goal and celebrate, without taking into account the repercussions that this would entail: a few minutes after Isaac Romero’s goal, the team led by Quique Sánchez Flores took their own medicine and conceded three goals from 9 from Girona.
5
Gazzaniga, Miguel Gutierrez, Yan Couto, Daley Blind, Juanpe (Antal Yaakobishvili, min. 29), Sávio (Pablo Torre, min. 73), Yangel Herrera (Jhon Solís, min. 65), Iván Martín, Tsygankov (Valery Fernández, min. 65), Portu and Dovbyk (Stuani, min. 73)
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Dmitrovic, Jesus Navas, Sergio Ramos, Nianzou Tanguy Kouassi, Loic Bade (Marcao, 45 minutes), Adria Pedrosa, Suso (Hannibal Mejbri, 62 minutes), Djibril Sow (Lucien Agoume, 76 minutes), Joan Jordan and Isaac Rosemary and Lucas Ocampos (Mariano, min. 76)
Goals 0-1 min. 10: Isaac Romero. 1-1 min. 12: Dovbyk. 2-1 min. 14: Dovbyk. 3-1 min. 19: Dovbyk. 4-1 min. 55: Tsygankov. 5-1 min. 88: Stuani.
Referee Pablo González Fuertes
Yellow cards Djibril Sow (60 minutes) and Hannibal Mejbri (62 minutes)
Although there would be time for two more. Action and reaction for the club that consolidates its football light, its offensive power and its revelation team label. It is a new victory against Sevilla (5-1) for Míchel who, unstoppable since the season began, has left countless victims along the way.
Two teams, moreover, with different situations: while Girona remains practically unbeatable – this season they have only lost against Real Madrid, which has one game less – as leader of the league table and advancing to the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, Sevilla needs to triumph again to avoid continuing its free fall in the domestic competition. Girona is the top scorer in the League with 51 goals, while Sevilla has just over half (26).
Quique Sánchez Flores’ team, with four consecutive defeats in the League although alive in the Cup, is on the verge of the red zone of relegation, with 16 points in 21 games and Cádiz slipstreaming with one point behind. The last time Míchel and Quique met, in the first round last August, two goals from Yangel Herrera and Aleix García allowed Girona to leave Pizjuán with the three points in their pocket. Five months have passed since then. Girona returned to the League after its clash against bottom team Almería between lights, earthquakes and heat with its now usual crowd – 13,092 people – in the cold of Montilivi.
But Sevilla returned with renewed strength after surpassing Getafe in the Copa del Rey: they moved the ball dangerously close to the area, and the team led by Míchel was choked by Sevilla’s high pressure, causing slips and errors that a clueless Gazzaniga could not contain : Isaac Romero scored the first for Sevilla. The defense wailed, the visitors celebrated and the stadium fell into thunderous silence. It wouldn’t last long. A few seconds later, the chants returned.
Girona reacted, regained strength and reorganized to honor the offensive game that has proclaimed them the top scorer in the domestic competition. The award-winning best player in the League during the month of December, Artem Dovbyk, put on the cape to come back in the game with three goals in just six minutes and 33 seconds, with Savinho, Portu and Couto as more than squires and assistants. The Ukrainian giant also left Sergio Ramos in the trenches, crushed Sevilla’s few hopes and became his team’s top scorer with 15 goals.
The expedition to Montilivi of the white and red team came out badly. Girona’s counters made each of the spectators hold their breath: each play was a mirage of a goal in Dmitrovic’s goal. But the light did not fail when Savinho He enjoyed playing – as he did throughout the game – on the wing to cross for Tsygankov, who would give away the fourth goal – more than a decisive one – in the Ukrainian scoring festival in the Girona temple.
Girona had intimidated Sevilla, who faded, unrecognizable, for the rest of the match. And Míchel was already thinking about the next game against Mallorca in the Copa del Rey quarterfinals, so he rested and rotated players. Montilivi reacted, stood up and proudly applauded Dovbyk. The stands shouted one more goal, and invoked Stuani’s goal. The spectators’ flashlights turned on: the light of Girona blinded, once again, its rival.