Girona loses at home to Villarreal in Laliga
The youth player came on in the 85th minute to give his team the win.
A youth player is the one who keeps Villarreal relying on themselves to secure a place in next season’s Champions League . Cameroonian Etta Eyong came on in the 85th minute and, four minutes later, gave his team all three points at Montilivi in a lackluster game for Marcelino’s team. But, at this stage, what counts is scoring points, something Girona isn’t usually doing , as they continue to see the precipice very close
Eyong, who has scored 17 goals for the reserve team after arriving from Cádiz last summer , had only played two minutes in the Primera Division, the ones his manager gave him against Real Sociedad on Matchday 32. Marcelino brought him on again in an attempt to secure a win that had been slipping away. He dared to take off his most decisive player this year, Ayoze, to take a chance on the 21-year-old. And the decision couldn’t have been better, as they are three vital points in the fight for the Champions League, which will allow him to temporarily catch Athletic Bilbao (who have to play Alavés) and move four points clear of Betis (who host Osasuna).
Villarreal had found themselves in a rut, having clearly dominated the game from the start . Without being a siege, Marcelino’s team controlled the game from midfield and created opportunities. Meanwhile, Girona couldn’t string together plays that would allow them to reach the opponent’s penalty area.
The Yellows took the lead midway through the first half through Ayoze , but the goal was denied by a clear save from the Yellows’ forward, who had twice found Gazzaniga in the same play. The Girona goalkeeper missed the Canary Islander’s first point-blank shot, but he used his reflexes on the second.
Through Baena , who claimed a penalty from Yangel Herrera shortly before halftime, came that action and most of the dangerous ones that Villarreal created.
Gironí improvement
It wasn’t enough for Marcelino, who started the second half with Parejo on the pitch to try to give the U-boat some more fluidity. What he found was a dominant Girona side , which pushed forward and began to hang around the box.
Thank you for watching
Despite everything, the first clear chance of the second half came through Baena ‘s boots , with a sharp shot that Gazzaniga thwarted . It was practically the only clear chance before the goal, as nothing much else happened. Villarreal couldn’t string together any plays, and Girona faded away.
Decisive changes
Both coaches looked to break the deadlock with substitutions , and that’s where Marcelino came out on top. Eyong headed in a diving header, perfectly timing the ball . A pure striker’s shot. Not to be missed was the assist from Pedraza, another substitute . A precise cross from the left turned into half a goal.
Despite everything, Girona came close to drawing on the final chance of the match. Yangel Herrera had a chance to equalize from a corner , but his shot went wide of the post. Villarreal took a breather, just what Míchel’s team is starting to need.
