Rayo Vallecano and Girona played out a dramatic draw, with Cristhian Stuani once again becoming the hero for the Catalan side. The Uruguayan striker secured a vital point for Girona, keeping them two points above the relegation zone with nine points still to play for. Every detail matters now as they fight to stay in La Liga.
After the match, Girona coach Míchel spoke to Movistar Plus+ and unveiled the enormous sacrifice Stuani made to help his team. “We all wanted to play when we were footballers. Stuani had to get an injection to play. He has been struggling with his knee all week. With Vanat and Abel out, without ‘Stu’ we lack presence in the box. Having him for these three matches is crucial,” he explained.
Míchel also revealed his game plan for the visit to Vallecas. “In these matches you need mental strength to reach your goal. The only way to counterattack was with two wingers capable of cutting inside, but their positional changes made that difficult. The flow of the match prevents you from changing what you see,” he said.
The point felt like a victory for Girona, who were trailing until the 90th minute. Míchel acknowledged Rayo’s superiority: “Rayo were better in terms of play. They had two clear chances and much more possession. It’s tough. They are coming off a historic run, and we had three defeats. This point is positive. For me, it’s a great result against a complicated opponent. I hope the Vallecano fans help us stay up.” He also made a reference to his former club’s Conference League campaign.
Rayo coach Iñigo Pérez also commented: “Adding points is good, even though we would have liked to win. The opponent had something unexpected. The match was evenly matched and exploded around the 80th minute.”
“We understood
