Girona says goodbye to the ‘Champions’ at San Siro

Míchel’s men stood up to a Milan that smells like the last 16 in the second half

Girona FC lost this Wednesday against AC Milan (1-0) at San Siro, on the seventh day of the League Phase of the Champions League, in a setback that led to elimination in their first ‘Champions’ and without adding a single point and goal away from Montilivi, where they will say goodbye to the continental competition in front of their fans against Arsenal.

It continues the progression of a Milan that has chained five victories with which it leaves behind the two initial defeats and places itself in sixth position, depending on itself to go directly to the round of 16. On the other hand, Girona wakes up from the dream of the ‘Champions’, with some 2,000 ‘gironins’ in the stands of the Stadio San Siro, where their team went from less to more and came to enjoy opportunities to, at least, be able to tie.

Girona scored with a great goal from Bryan Gil, annulled by the referee and confirmed by the VAR for offside. And he had good chances with Donny van de Beek, Viktor Tsygankov and Yangel Herrera. But he didn’t score and he was lucky that Milan crashed two balls into the goal posts of a Gazzaniga who had a lot of work and was fortunate enough to have to collect only one ball from his nets. Except for the first half hour, Girona played face to face with a historic rival.

The first dangerous chance was for Girona, with a header from Yangel Herrera, coming off a corner, which narrowly went to the right of the goal defended by Mike Maignan. But it was Milan who took the lead and were better, warning first with a free-kick from Tijjani Reijnders that found a gap in the Girona barrier but ran into a truly worthy save from Gazzaniga, who shortly after was very good again. well to prevent a cross shot by Leão, from the right, from being a goal.

Two great interventions from the Argentine in just one minute that did not prevent Milan and San Siro from wanting more. In that deafening atmosphere, Krejci made his life difficult when the ball was released and lost control of the ball in the small area, but luckily for Girona the action ended in a corner and, as it came out, the Spanish Álvaro Morata tried an acrobatic shot that was saved well, easily, by Gazzaniga.

But in a quick counterattack, the Portuguese Rafa Leão stood in the Girona area, again, and after a good cut he assisted the full-back Theo Hernández, who finished in a somewhat orthopedic way and crashed the ball, with Gazzaniga sold, into the crossbar. the ‘gironina’ goal.

Milan were locking Girona in their area and coming close to scoring again and again. Just 5 minutes after Theo’s crossbar, almost at half an hour it was the American Yunus Musah who sent a cross shot to the base of the Girona Argentine goalkeeper’s post.

GIRONA REGRET TWO GREAT OCCASIONS IN A ROW

And, in the middle of this Milan offensive fronton, Donny van de Beek appeared to, alone in the area after opening a wide space, forced a low shot and saw Maignan stop, as best he could, his shot. A Maignan who also deflected a subsequent shot from Viktor Tsygankov. It was the great double chance for a Girona team that, almost unintentionally, was able to take the lead but once again missed having more bite up front.

But football has its own justice. If Milan had been tremendously superior in the first half hour, when Girona had reached a partial truce and then had those two very clear scoring chances, the ‘Rossonero’ goal arrived. Work of a Rafa Leão who, with spaces, is a real beast. He ran into space, cut off a slow David López and overpowered, with power, a Gazzaniga who could have come out to try to cut the pass into the gap but chose to stay under the line.

Fair result to go to the break, given what we have seen. Because Álvaro Morata had another chance for AC Milan, well saved by Gazzaniga. Girona, for that double opportunity and for enjoying the first chance between the sticks of the game and the last of the first half, with a quick counterattack culminated by Yangel and deflected by Maignan, did not deserve to go to the locker room with a major defeat either. Girona seemed to survive, but the truth is that Maignan prevented three Catalan goals.

A BETTER SECOND PART WITHOUT PRIZE

And in the second part the tone was, at least at the beginning, similar. Girona started a little better and had a great chance thanks to an incisive Yangel, arriving very well from the second line. But it was Theo, in another gallop from the Milan left wing, who once again came close to making it 2-0 with a shot into the side of the net.

Comings and goings, many occasions, but with the feeling that Girona was a little better than in the first half. So much so that it was close to a tie, which was valid for a few seconds until the semi-automatic offside ratified the offside signaled live. But Bryan Gil’s ‘no goal’ in the 57th minute was beautifully done, after receiving a long ball, controlling it, facing Theo and sending a whiplash to the opposite corner.

Rafa Leão and Tammy Abraham, who had just entered the field for a Morata who was not fine, warned Girona again and Míchel, on the wing, opted for a quadruple substitution. Girona was risking their lives and was 2 goals away from staying alive, so they brought in new powder up front – Danjuma, Stuani and Asprilla came in – and with Iván Martín in the midfield. In search of the dream tie, which did not come because Girona put more heart than head, more desire than means and, in the end, a bitter goodbye to the ‘Champions’ that could only be sweetened with a final victory against Arsenal, third place.

TECHNICAL SHEET.

–RESULT: AC MILAN, 1 – GIRONA FC, 0 (1-0, at half-time).

–TEAMS.

AC MILAN: Maignan; Emerson (Calabria, min.4), Pavlovic, Gabbia, Hernandez; Fofana, Bennacer (Pulisic, min.75); Musah, Reijnders (Terracciano, min.75), Rafa Leão; and Morata (Abraham, min.64).

GIRONA FC: Gazzaniga; French, David López, Krejci, Blind; Oriol Romeu, Herrera (Portu, min.77), Van de Beek (Asprilla, min.72); Tsygankov (Iván Martín, min.72), Abel Ruiz (Stuani, min.72) and Bryan Gil (Danjuma, min.72).

–GOALS.

1-0. Min.37, Leão.

–REFEREE: Tobias Stieler (GER). He cautioned Calabria (min.41), Theo Hernández (min.80) at AC Milan and Bryan Gil (min.59), Martín (min.82) to Bryan Gil.

–STADIUM: San Siro.