The 0-2 victory for Girona in the Catalan derby against Espanyol was decided by two penalties converted by Vanat, one in each half. The first, awarded for an action by Omar on Hugo Rincón, was deemed particularly doubtful and led to strong protests from the blue-and-white club.
“"We had many dangerous situations in the first half, in the second they focused. We played a great game."
With this result, the team led by the Madrid coach Míchel has collected 12 of the last 15 possible points, settling in the middle of the table, five points away from European positions. Girona woke up ninth, seven points above the red zone, a notable achievement after having spent 16 of the first 19 matchdays in the relegation zone.
“"No one is going to relax. Quite the opposite, the players have the mentality of leaving here working with humility and being a team with courage and personality. I have no doubt that we will continue to be the same."
The negative aspect of the match was the throwing of objects by a sector of the Espanyol fans, which hit the Girona goalkeeper, Gazzaniga. The 'Perico' coach, Manolo González, criticized the referee's decision by Galech Apezteguía and suggested that the Argentine goalkeeper had provoked the stands. Espanyol now faces a potential stadium closure, as the club had already been warned since September 2024.
