Girona comfortably passed their first Copa del Rey test on Tuesday, beating Cuarte 0-2 at the Juan Guerrero 'El Lobo' stadium. Goals from Abel Ruiz in the 23rd minute and Oleksandr Pyshchur in the 60th secured passage to the next round of a competition where the white-and-reds have ambitions.
Manager Quique Álvarez opted for mass rotation. The starting lineup included backups like goalkeeper Krapyvtsov, full-back Àlex Moreno, midfielder Donny van de Beek and striker Cristhian Stuani. The intention was clear from the start: control the game and avoid any surprises. "Girona did not want to leave room for surprises in a competition accustomed to them," Álvarez explained after the match.
A first half of control
The superiority of the Segunda División side was evident early. Abel Ruiz, starting up front, opened the scoring after a good pass from Lassina Kourouma. The striker finished precisely to make it 0-1. Cuarte, a lower-category team based in Zaragoza, tried to react. They had a clear chance through Rodri Tapia, but Krapyvtsov was alert to keep his clean sheet. The home side, led by Chus Herrero, fought until the end. "The Cuarte team fought until the final whistle against a team three categories above," acknowledged Herrero.
The second half followed the same script. Girona managed the tempo and found the second goal on the hour mark. It was Pyshchur who finished a measured pass from Van de Beek to beat the local goalkeeper. With the score at 0-2, the match was settled. Álvarez was able to give minutes to youngsters like Izan and Morante, while players like Portu or Junior also got their chance from the bench.
This Copa win comes at a good time for Girona, who sit fourth in the Segunda División standings with 21 points. The team has three consecutive wins in all competitions, including a resounding 5-1 victory over Celta de Vigo II in the last league match. With 22 goals scored and only 10 conceded, they have one of the most solid defences in the category, though they remain five points behind leaders Castellón.
Next up for Álvarez's side is a trip to face Real Sociedad II in Zubieta this Saturday, 31 October. The opponent, bottom of the table, represents an opportunity to keep adding points in the promotion race. Attention will then return to the Copa del Rey, where Girona await their next round opponent. The team has shown it has the squad depth to handle the double challenge.
Read the full report at Mundo Deportivo
