Girona took a point from a 1-1 draw at Tenerife in LaLiga Hypermotion's Matchday 9, a result that leaves Quique Álvarez's side seventh with 15 points, just one point outside the promotion playoff places. Yaser Asprilla put the visitors ahead after just four minutes, but Tenerife's veteran 40-year-old striker Enric Gallego levelled the scores on 25 minutes, underlining a worrying trend for Girona. The team has now dropped 8 points from winning positions this season, a key factor in their current league position.
The match at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López, attended by 15,048 spectators, started perfectly for Girona. A Carles Pérez cross deflected by defender León fell to Asprilla, who tapped in the rebound for his fourth goal of the season in six appearances. The joy was short-lived, however. A driving run from Dani Fernández and a subsequent cross from Nacho Gil found Gallego, who headed home to equalise. The strike was his sixth of the campaign, keeping him atop the division's scoring charts.
Substitutions and cards
Quique Álvarez made five changes during the match, including replacing goalkeeper Gazzaniga with Krapyvtsov at half-time. Bryan Gil and Donny van de Beek came on for Asprilla and Abel Ruiz around the hour mark in a bid to inject fresh attacking impetus. The game was fiercely contested, with referee Daniel Palencia Caballero showing seven yellow cards, four of them to Girona players: Izan, Vanat, Holmes Junior and the recently introduced Van de Beek.
The manager has pinpointed the inability to protect results as a recurring issue for his team. "It's something that is happening to us and we have to correct it," Álvarez explained after the final whistle. With this draw, Girona have now recorded two consecutive stalemates and extended their unbeaten run to four matches, though the feeling is one of a missed opportunity. Their recent form shows just one win in their last five outings, a statistic that highlights their struggle to convert promising positions into victories. The team maintains a positive seasonal record, having scored 15 goals and conceded just 9, but needs to find greater defensive solidity in key moments. The squad now prepares to host 17th-placed FC Andorra on 18 October.
With the standings showing a tightly-packed group at the top, every point is key. Seventh-placed Girona have an immediate chance to get back on track at home. The match against Andorra represents the perfect opportunity to return to winning ways and close in on the promotion spots from which they are separated by a single point.
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Goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga was substituted at halftime due to discomfort, the club confirmed. Girona, seventh with 15 points, were saved from defeat in the 94th minute when a header from Enric Gallego was ruled out for offside. The team now looks to get back on track against FC Andorra on October 18.
Tenerife came close to victory in the 94th minute. Striker Enric Gallego hit the post in that action. His subsequent goal was disallowed for offside. Girona, seventh with 15 points and on a four-match unbeaten run, host FC Andorra on October 18.
Goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga suffered discomfort in his glute, ARA confirmed. The club had already reported his substitution at halftime. The Argentine goalkeeper could not play the second half of the one-all draw in Tenerife. His replacement, Andriy Krapyvtsov, had not played an official match for Girona in almost a year. The team, seventh with 15 points, hosts FC Andorra on October 18.
