Borja García, Samu and Stuani mark territory

EI Girona strikes first. The rojiblanco team was far superior to Almería and will defend only 1-0 in the return leg. Borja García, Samu Saiz and Stuani teamed up to embitter the debut of José Gomes. Yes, the feeling that Girona has left is that it could make more blood to a simplistic Almería. Harmless and lacking in rhythm and game.

Right from the start, Girona wanted to control the ball and did so against the permissiveness of an Almería who appeared with a 5-2-3. The rojiblancos tried to take advantage of the bands, Aday was the one that brought the most danger, pBut there were hardly any scoring chances. The fear of making a mistake that would give the rival an advantage made a dent in a Girona team lacking in spice, although at the end of the first half, Samu Saiz took off his corset and made his teammates work. Mojica and Ramalho were in attack and with their centers, plus Aday, Sivera was concerned.

After the break, Almería did in the first three minutes what it did not do in the entire first half: shoot at goal and put Riesgo in the spotlight. Lazo and De la Hoz tried to set off a spark, but it went out with astonishing ease. Then Girona smelled blood again and, in the 54th minute, it was 1-0. It was a great goal. Borja García, Samu Saiz and Stuani got together and everything went perfectly. Every movement and touch of the ball was excellent. Borja put Samu Saiz in flight, who won the space and gave the goal to a Stuani who already has 30 goals this season. Qualifiers are over for the Uruguayan, who stayed to return Girona to Primera and his commitment is worth gold.

With the 1-0, José Gomes gave entry to Vada and Petrovic and varied his system. He forgot about the five defenders and went 4-2-3-1. But this continued without connecting to Almería, he lost the ball easily and barely passed the midfield. Girona wanted more, but did not finish enjoying good scoring chances to clarify the tie a bit more. Stuani, with his goal, was once again decisive and Girona will have to defend him on Sunday. Almería must, and can, improve a lot.

Francisco: “The tie is at 50%”

Girona coach Francisco was satisfied to have beaten Almería in the first leg of the playoff semifinals for promotion to LaLiga Santander (1-0), but insisted on remarking that “the tie is at 50%”.

“The victory is very important. But it gives us nothing. Just the confidence to continue down this path and to continue believing in what we do and in our work, “emphasized the coach of the Montilivi team, always cautious.

In this sense, Francisco admitted that he is “very happy” with all his players because they have “played a very good game”, but, at the same time, he stressed: “We are realistic. We have won by 1 to 0, and we have to prepare very well for the second leg, with the same emphasis“.

The Girona coach from Almería also stressed that “Girona has been a team today“.” And on Sunday we have to try to be again. We know that it will be a very difficult game“he added.

Happy to have seen “personality on the field”, Francisco celebrated that “the team has known how to suffer, and has had an enormous defensive commitment“.

“We have faced a very dangerous opponent, and They have practically not generated us chances and we have played a lot in the opposite field“, said.

At the same time, he recognized that “I would have liked to achieve a wider marker“, but they have to go” home happy. “- EFE

José Gomes: “My players are going to leave their skin on the field to pass”

Just after losing to Girona (1-0) in the first leg of the first semifinal of the playoff promotion to First Division, the new coach of Almería, the Portuguese José Gomes, remarked that they are “at halftime of the match that is this tie”, and, in Almería, their players “are going to leave their skin on the field to go to the final.”

Gomes, the fifth coach of the course for the Andalusians, regretted that Almería has had “eight casualties this week“, and argued that he had a line of five defenses”to defend our goal and try to come out with danger to counterattack“.

“Defensively, my players have been very good. We have not suffered or had dangerous situations, beyond the error that caused his goal“Gomes emphasized before admitting:”What I liked most about the game was the balance with which the team defended“.

Instead, the Almería coach acknowledged that “the team has not done well in the offensive transition“With the quality in attack we have, we must create more chances and more danger,” he added.

Even so, Gomes wanted to emphasize that “of the bad results this is the least bad, the best“With everything we've been through, I have to be happy for the effort and attitude,” he said. – EFE