Ukrainian brilliance inspires Girona to priceless first away win over Real Sociedad

Real Sociedad 1-2 Girona

Ahead of Friday night’s clash at Anoeta, and improved Real Sociedad were looking to confirm the upward trajectory under Sergio Francisco, having previously seen his job under threat. Yet it was Girona who did so in a shock result in Donostia-San Sebastian.

La Real played with plenty of purpose in the opening stages, Takefusa Kubo frustrating the crowd with a loose finish after being sent through on goal. That was the best of the early chances created by the Txuri-Urdin, but Girona started to grow back into the game, finding Azzedine Ounahi at every opportunity. It was Viktor Tsygankov who tested Alex Remiro first though, the Spanish international making a swift flight across his goal to get fingertips to it.

Shortly after, Real Sociedad made the breakthrough though. Igor Zubeldia stepped in from his centre-back position to midfield to brilliantly take the ball out of the air, turn away from a defender and play the ball in behind for Goncalo Guedes. Michel Sanchez will have been furious that his defence not only parted like the Red Sea, but Paulo Gazzaniga’s soft hands welcomed Guedes’ shot into the net.

Ukrainian brilliance inspires Girona comeback

From that point on, La Real began to look increasingly comfortable, with Girona struggling to produce much offensively, even if their hosts were not hurting them either. The game shifted with 14 minutes to go, when Tsygankov collected a loose ball just outside his own box to direct a cross-field ball into Ounahi in the La Real half. Backing up the quality with great desire, he then got on the end of Ounahi’s precise ball into the La Real box, controlling and then reaching high into the sky to loft the ball into the net.

The Txuri-Urdin never recovered from the shock, and Girona began to move the ball quicker and with more purpose. Eight minutes later, left-back Alex Moreno beat his man on the flank, but cut in on his weaker right side. Knuckling what looked like a shot across goal, Tsygankov was again undetected by the time he waltzed onto the ball and backheeled it in from close range.

The Reale Arena felt colder and more empty as the final seconds ticked away, and the reaction to the defeat at the whistle was glacial. La Real are now just two points clear of the drop, following a result that brings Francisco’s job back into focus. Michel’s Girona secured their first away win of the season, and with it, left the drop zone for the first time since Matchday 4.

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