Girona Soar to Second, Atletico Stumble at Cadiz
Girona’s resurgence continued on Saturday as they secured a 2-0 victory over Osasuna, propelling them back into second place in La Liga. The triumph came at the expense of Atletico Madrid, who suffered a surprising 2-0 defeat at Cadiz, further denting their hopes of a top-three finish.
Girona’s dominance was evident from the outset, and they were rewarded with a goal from Cristian Portu just 13 minutes into the match. Viktor Tsygankov’s incisive pass found Portu in the box, and the Spaniard’s clinical finish gave Girona the early advantage.
Despite Girona’s dominance, Osasuna remained a threat, and Tsygankov nearly provided a second assist for Artem Dovbyk, but the Ukrainian forward failed to convert. Daley Blind also came close to doubling Girona’s lead, but his effort was blocked by the Osasuna defense.
Girona’s persistence paid off in the 85th minute when Savinho found the net. However, the goal was initially ruled out for a foul, but the Brazilian’s disappointment was short-lived as he struck again two minutes later. Miguel Gutierrez’s pass found Aleix Garcia, whose backheel set up Savinho for a left-footed finish that sealed the victory.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid’s struggles continued with a disappointing defeat at Cadiz. Juanmi’s brace either side of half-time condemned Diego Simeone’s men to their seventh defeat of the season.
The first half was marred by fouls, and Cadiz took the lead through Juanmi’s unmarked header midway through the period. Simeone made changes at half-time, but Juanmi struck again just after the hour mark, securing the victory for the Andalusian side.
The result leaves Atletico four points behind Girona in third, while Cadiz moved closer to safety, provisionally moving within two points of 17th place.
In other La Liga action, Real Sociedad came from behind to win 3-2 at Granada, while Valencia climbed to eighth with a 1-0 victory over Getafe.