Sevilla and Girona Battle to a Draw
MADRID (AP) — In a thrilling encounter in La Liga, Sevilla and Girona ended in a 1-1 stalemate after a weather-related rescheduling pushed the match to Sunday. Initially slated for Saturday, the game faced a delay due to a severe storm warning in Seville.
Match Highlights
Girona took an early lead just two minutes into the contest when Thomas Lemar found the back of the net. However, the home side, Sevilla, managed to equalize in dramatic fashion with a powerful long-range strike from Kike Salas during stoppage time. The excitement continued as Girona’s Cristhian Stuani was introduced late in the game specifically to take a crucial penalty kick. Unfortunately, the seasoned Uruguayan’s attempt was thwarted by Sevilla’s goalkeeper, Odysseas Vlachodimos.
Girona’s coach, Míchel, expressed his confidence in Stuani, stating, “If I have to take a chance on someone taking a penalty, it will always be Stuani.”
This marked a surprising miss for Stuani, as he had not failed to convert a penalty in the league for three years. As a result of this draw, Girona now sits in 12th position, holding a slender lead of one point over the 13th-placed Sevilla, while Girona struggles with three consecutive matches without a win.
Other League Action
In other league action, Rayo Vallecano’s match against Oviedo was called off shortly before kickoff due to safety concerns regarding the pitch at Vallecas Stadium. Meanwhile, Athletic Bilbao secured a thrilling 4-2 victory over Levante, who played nearly the entire match with ten men following Alan Matturro’s red card in the 17th minute. Athletic, who had not won in their previous six league games, saw four goals scored in the final ten minutes of the match.
Elsewhere, Getafe emerged from a nine-game winless streak to beat Alaves 2-0, while later on Sunday, third-place Atletico Madrid faced fifth-place Real Betis, and Real Madrid traveled to Valencia, vying to close the gap on league leaders Barcelona.
