Match Report: Away defeat to Girona FC (0-1)

Valencia CF took on Girona FC on Sunday the 5th of February at the Estadi Municipal de Montilivi at 4:15 pm kick-off time (CET) on Matchday 20 the opening fixture of the second term of LaLiga. 

Valencia CF had a slow start to the game trying to find a foothold in a rather cagey opening minutes of the first half. 

The first Valencia CF chance fell to Samuel Lino who tried his luck from outside the box following a series of corner kicks over the ten-minute mark, but his effort dragged wide of the post. 

Giorgi Mamardashvili produced heroics to deny Aleix García and then they survived a scare over the quarter-hour mark as the opposition continued to bring menace to the Valencia CF 18-yard box.  

The first meaningful Valencia CF chance fell to Yunus Musah who collected a threaded through ball into space and got on a one-on-one with Paulo Gazzaniga who denied the US international halfway on the midway point of the first half.  

Giorgi Mamardashvili was forced into another superb stop to Borja García’s long-range effort.  

Minutes later, André Almeida won the ball back following a corner kick and set up the counter and picked out Toni Lato whose cross-strike rolled agonisingly wide of the far post as it rolled beyond Samu Lino who was sliding in.  

 Edinson Cavani went for goal himself following a José Luis Gayà delivery but his effort fizzed wide.  

Valencia CF survived another scare on the stroke of halftime at Montilivii but the ball bounced off the turf and out of harm’s way. 

The first half finished scoreless at the interval.

The early goings of the second half saw a cagey spell alas, things took a turn for the worst when Borja García made it 1-0 to Girona over the hour mark as Valencia CF.  

Valencia CF dominated possession however their struggled to make any inroads going forward. Voro made a triple change with, Samu Lino, Hugo Guillamón and Yunus Musah making way for Ilaix Hugo Duro and Marcos André. 

Giorgi Mamardashvili kept the scoreline at 1-0. Valencia CF tried to find an equaliser to no avail as Valencia CF fell to yet another away defeat to Girona FC. 

Valencia CF will welcome Athletic Club at Mestalla on Saturday 11th of February on Matchday 21 of LaLiga.   

MATCH DETAILS:

GIRONA FC: Gazzaniga, Valery, Bueno, Bernardo, Miguel, Romeu, Aleix García, Iván Martín (Tsygankov, 78'), Toni Villa (Riquelme, 62'), Borja García (Yangel Herrera, 78') and Tati Castellanos (Stuani, 61').

VALENCIA CF: Mamardashvili, Foulquier, Cömert, Cenk, Gayà, Hugo Guillamón (Ilaix Moriba, 78'), André Almeida, Yunus Musah (Yunus Musah, 78'), Toni Lato (Jesús Vázquez, 83'), Samuel Lino (Marcos André, 78') and Cavani.

GOALS: 1-0 Borja García, 64'.

REFEREE: Iglesias Villanueva (C. Gallego). Yellow cards for Hugo Guillamón, Gayà, Cavani, Stuani and Cenk.

VAR: Jaime Latre (C. Aragones).

 OBSERVATIONS: Matchday 20 of LaLiga played at the Estadio Municipal de Montilivi, Girona.