Girona claimed their first win of the season this Sunday with a commanding 5-2 victory over Las Palmas at Montilivi. As reported by COPE's 'Tiempo de Juego', Quique Álvarez's side ended the Canary Islands club's unbeaten start and their sole leadership of LaLiga Hypermotion in matchday 3.
Colombian playmaker Yáser Asprilla, the club's record signing, was the standout performer with a brace. Jastin García opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a powerful strike from outside the box. Iván Jaime, introduced at half-time, equalised for Las Palmas following a mistake by goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga. But Fran Beltrán restored Girona's lead in the 55th minute with a delicate chip after another error from opposing keeper José Antonio Caro.
How is Girona's squad shaping up?
The win comes at a key time, with the transfer window still open. The Catalan side has a squad with an average age of 25.4 years, according to live data on our squad page. Ukrainian striker Vladyslav Vanat, last season's top scorer with ten goals, played his first minutes of the campaign after overcoming discomfort. His continuity is seen as a major asset for the pre-season. The club aims to finalise its roster to fight for direct promotion to the top flight.
What did Yáser Asprilla bring to the match?
Asprilla decisively tilted the game in Girona's favour. Just five minutes after the 2-1, the attacking midfielder made it 3-1 with a shot into the top corner following a superb individual run. He netted his second in the 72nd minute, after a prior offside call, to seal the 4-1. "He has landed on his feet after his loan to Galatasaray," noted the COPE report on his return. The player has now strung together three strong performances in a row, exciting the Montilivi faithful.
How did the standings change after this matchday?
The three points give Girona some breathing room in the table. The team climbs several places, though it remains distant from the automatic promotion spots. Fans can track the competition's progress in our standings section. Las Palmas, meanwhile, lost their status as outright leaders after this defeat, their first of the season. The match, played in front of 9,555 spectators, also saw Jese Rodríguez sent off in the 75th minute for a foul.
Who were Girona's other goalscorers?
Besides Asprilla, other players contributed to the rout. Izan González finished the scoring in the 91st minute with the fifth goal, after Taisei Miyashiro's 4-2 strike for Las Palmas. The team also saw positive debuts from substitutes Javi Boñar and Oleksandr Pyshchur late on. Girona showed a notable offensive improvement compared to their first two matches, from which they took just one point. The team's next challenge can be found on the fixtures calendar.
This victory provides a vital boost for Quique Álvarez's project. The team showed character to respond after Las Palmas' temporary equaliser and displayed much sharper finishing. The task now is to maintain this consistency and harness the momentum from the Montilivi crowd to string together positive results.
