CUP | GIRONA 0 – VILLARREAL 1 Yeremy Pino raises Villarreal and knocks out a worthy Girona

Villarreal continues its journey in the Copa del Rey at the cost of a Girona that says goodbye with its head held high. The rojiblancos signed a tremendously worthy round of 16, but it was impossible to lift the so much that Yeremy Pino signed in the first half. The yellow team had to sweat, and a lot in the second half, and show great skill to get catapulted into the quarterfinals. For the second consecutive season they are the Girona executioner in the Cup.

Francisco already made it clear in the preview of this match that his priority is Saturday's League match against Mallorca and shook his team in such a way that only Santi Bueno repeated ownership regarding the duel against Espanyol. The rojiblancos appeared with a young block and in the first minutes they were seen full of energy, but lacking calm when making decisions. Villarreal, on the contrary, he danced to the sound of Trigueros and the arrivals on the right wing of Rubén Peña and Baena were difficult for the Girona people to control. It was a first half round trip, although it was the yellow ones that were most comfortable in vertigo. And in the 19th minute, after a goal kick from Muric, it was 0-1. Baena placed the ball in the front of the area where Trigueros picked it up and smashed it into the left post. So Yeremy Pino appeared, smarter and faster than all the Girona behind, and pushed him to goal. It was the first clear chance of the duel and Villarreal did not fail. After that, he could make a lot of blood while the rojiblancos were on the canvas, but Fer Niño, in the 21 'minute, was unsuccessful because his header ran into the body of a well-placed Muric.

Already in the 32 ', the change due to injury to scorer Yeremy Pino It cooled Villarreal a bit and Girona took advantage of it to give their game one more march. But Rulli, beyond a shot from Bárcenas, was barely under the spotlight. The duel then went to rest and the rojiblancos almost thanked him because they were able to stay with one less because of Nahuel Bustos's ‘momentum’. In 39 ', a cold sweat ran down the body of the Argentine forward because, in an action with Peña in which the referee did not signal or fault, the VAR warned him that it could be a red card. De Burgos Bengoetxea went to see him on television and left him only in yellow.

In the second half, Villarreal came out to see them coming and gave hope to a Girona who, with the ball, felt powerful. And from 57 ', he besieged the rival. First, Mamadou Sylla made a tremendous Chilean to which Rulli responded with a great intervention and, in the 60 ', a goal to Bustos was well disallowed for offside. Emery, who did not want any more scares, gave entry to Parejo and Alcácer and there was an exchange of blows. It was even close to 0-2, but Coquelin missed a tremendously clear chance. In the last minutes, Francisco, knowing that his Girona was fully involved in the tie, gave entry to Stuani to try to tie and reach the extra time. But it was a want and I can't and the rojiblanco dream in the Copa del Rey is over.

Emery

Villarreal coach Unai Emery acknowledged this Tuesday, after eliminating Girona in the second round of the Copa del Rey (0-1), that the KO tournament is a competition that “excites” the 'groguet' dressing room.

“Barcelona, ​​Sevilla and Athletic are perhaps ahead,” Emery admitted, but Villarreal can “aspire to compete and win against everyone.” “The team is making its way. There is still a long way to go, but the team will seek to go as far as possible, with the illusion of aspiring to play for something beautiful until the end.”added the Villarreal coach.

Regarding the match against Girona, Emery remarked being “satisfied with the great work of the team”, despite the difficulties posed by the rojiblanco team. “There are many positive readings”, Emery celebrated before remarking “the exigency in the effort, the firmness, the consistency and the regularity” of his team, despite not having played “as well as wanted” and not having sentenced the game.

Regarding the good performance of Yeremy Pino, author of the winning goal, Fer Niño and Álex Baena, the coach 'groguet' stressed that matches such as this Tuesday offer “an opportunity for different players to continue growing and taking steps and expanding experiences to achieve better performance”.

Francisco

Girona coach Francisco Rodríguez admitted, after losing to Villarreal in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, that “The elimination tastes bad because continuing would have served to give minutes to people who want to have them”, but at the same time he remarked that the team is “satisfied” with the KO tournament and “very proud to have shown what team wants to be in this second round of the league. “

“If Girona wants to be close to sixth place, it has to play like that, being very brave. It is time for everyone to contribute, and for all the players who have minutes to take advantage of it. And the obligation is to get 100%” Francisco added, “happy” and “convinced” that he will have the same squad when the winter transfer market drops the curtain.

In this sense, the Girona coach also emphasized that, “within the humility” that always claims, “it is time to be more ambitious than ever” and to focus on the league, and that having more days off between games will allow “improvement in many aspects, especially at the tactical level.”