Girona are one of the favorites to be among the best eight in the Copa del Rey after defeating Rayo Vallecano. The Catalans practically sealed the match in less than half an hour with goals already Stuani and Blind and they kicked the Madrid team out of the tournament, having suffered the dominance of the locals in the first half.
Colorful football reappeared in Montilivi after the setback in Almería. the ‘gironin’ They want to completely forget a match in which they were not right, so they decided to make that ‘clean slate’ to get to the quarterfinals of a tournament that is starting to be really exciting.
Few could have imagined that, after Juanpe’s error and Nteka’s one-on-one against Juan Carlos, Girona would be more awake than ever. Miguel, saving the team three minutes into the match in that action, was the appetizer for the next minutes in the ‘blanc-i-vermell’ fiefdom.
Míchel didn’t save anything for the appointment. Tsygankov and Yangel They returned to the starting line after the return of their respective injuries and the Vallecano coach did not want to do without Savinho or most of the available starters, as he announced in the preview of the match.
But it was not the aforementioned who decided to take the reins of the team, they were two old acquaintances who already had a long history at the Girona club. Tsygankov took advantage of Portu’s umpteenth uncheck to place the center and wait for Stuani to do the same. The shot, slightly bitten, went into the net of Cárdenas in a wonderful combination of the locals, who dominated the game without hesitation for most of the first half (16′).
@GironaFC | 1-0 | @Vallecano Ray | fifteen’
ℹ️ Minute by Minute: https://t.co/CAQw8fCr6Y #LaCopaMola🏆 | #Copa del Rey pic.twitter.com/VNXHNLWzoX
— RFEF (@rfef) January 17, 2024
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There was barely time to celebrate the first goal when Portu anticipated Moomin’s clearance. The Murcian kick ended with Figueroa Vázquez’s thumb as the south end of the stadium chanted ‘Uruguayan, Uruguayan’. The Uruguayan, nervous, shot a ‘panenka’ to double the lead on the scoreboard (19′).
Rayo struggled to react, as they saw how the Girona men drew the ire of their rivals due to the league tie in Andalusia. From a distance, Francisco showed signs of desperation, seeing that nothing seemed to go according to plan. As if that wasn’t enough, Girona wanted to put their finger on the wound a little more and decided to end more minutes of good play with another goal. Portu, who had already helped and caused the penalty, left another piece of candy for Blind, who mercilessly turned his ankle to adjust the ball into the corner of the Rayista goal (26′). The Dutch center back has three goals in the last four games.
@GironaFC | 3-0 | @Vallecano Ray | 26′
ℹ️ Minute by Minute: https://t.co/CAQw8fCr6Y #LaCopaMola🏆 | #Copa del Rey pic.twitter.com/e91L2pMqqF
— RFEF (@rfef) January 17, 2024
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Jhon Solís’ mistake was the alarm clock for the Madrid team. A pass error created another chance for Nteka, who missed the first, but not the second. The Frenchman fired a powerful shot into Juan Carlos’ goal a minute after Jorge de Frutos smashed the ball into the woodwork with his head (37′).
@GironaFC | 3-1 | @Vallecano Ray | 36′
ℹ️ Minute by Minute: https://t.co/CAQw8fCr6Y #LaCopaMola🏆 | #Copa del Rey pic.twitter.com/MbIiESDmXM
— RFEF (@rfef) January 17, 2024
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From there the tables became more even, with bad luck for the visitors as they saw the referee initiate the break. However, they continued their forward pressure after fifteen minutes of courtesy, forcing a number of errors out of the ball by the Catalans. Jorge de Frutos, Raúl de Tomás and Nteka showed signs of life on the clock, raising hopes going into the game.
Girona gave up some verticality and tried to regain possession of the ball, albeit more difficult than the entire first half. Both teams took the opportunity to offer oxygen and bring new figures to the pitch, also thinking about the league championship.
Cárdenas’ composure was most evident in the 75 minutes. Trejo’s gloves only left Falcao against Juan Carlos, but an 18-year-old boy named Antal appeared, who debuted in an official match against Míchel’s team in style, saving his team from a possible tragedy. The Hungarian won the duels and blocked everything he could, weakening the hopes of Francisco’s team.
With more space and waiting for extras, the men from Girona again continued their dangerous counterattacks, also taking advantage of the fact that Savinho continued what he was doing on the field. The crossbar and the Rayista goalkeeper’s hand down left the Brazilian unrewarded.
With time running out, Girona avenged their favor to advance to the quarterfinals of the Cup and eliminate Rayo, the same rival that in the second round and in Montilivi left the ‘gironin’ out of the tournament.
@GironaFC | 3-1 | @Vallecano Ray | 92′
ℹ️ Minute by minute: https://t.co/CAQw8fCr6Y#LaCopaMola🏆 | #Copa del Rey pic.twitter.com/0iUcSkKuqR
— RFEF (@rfef) January 17, 2024
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Data sheet:
3. Girona: Juan Carlos 1; Arnau 1 (Yan Couto, 45′ 1), Juanpe 1 (Antal, 45′ 2), Blind 2, Miguel 1; Jhon Solís 1 (Iván Martín 75′ 1), Yangel Herrera 2 (Aleix Garcia, 60′ 1); Portu 3, Tsygankov 2 (Valery, 60′ 1), Savinho 2; Stuani 2.
1. Rayo Vallecano: Cárdenas 1; Ratiu 1, Mumin 1, Pascual 1, Chavarría 1; Unai López 1, Óscar Valentín 2 (Pozo, 83′ 1); Isi 1 (Álvaro Garcia, 67′ 1), Nteka 2, De Frutos 1 (Falcao, 76′ 1); Raúl de Tomás 2 (Trejo, 67′ 1).
Goals: 1-0, Stuani (16′); 2-0, Stuani (19′); 3-0, Blind (26′); 3-1, Nteka (37′);
Viewers: 7,911.
Referee: Figueroa Vázquez. VAR: Alberola Rojas.
Stadium: Montilivi.
THE BEST: The reaction after the draw in Almería.
THE WORST: A few errors in getting the ball out.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
