In Girona’s Saturday fixture, the team returned to the field and secured three valuable points at Osasuna’s home ground, El Sadar, with a 4-2 triumph. The squad, perched atop the La Liga EA Sports standings after a 2-1 victory, extended its unbeaten record against Montilivi and kept the club dreaming big for the season ahead.
The visitors faced a full house that stood by them in Pamplona, reinforcing the sense of a historic night. Girona sat top among the leaders alongside Real Madrid, making the moment feel even larger for supporters.
The plan initially saw Míchel’s squad setting up Yangel Herrera with a ball from Arnau, but the Venezuelan found himself alone in the box and failed to direct the pass properly as the opportunity slipped away. Still, the Catalans began to control the flow of the game after that early scare.
At the 16th minute, Girona struck on a perfect counterattack. Iván Martín greeted Dobyvk’s assist with a composed finish, a moment that would have looked disastrous for Osasuna if not for the unpredictable nature of football. The match quickly resumed its sharp pace with Osasuna’s resilience coming into play.
Chimy Ávila and Aimar linked on the left to test the Girona defense, and Budimir pivoted to set up Moi Gómez for a half chance. A powerful shot from the midfielder was saved by the goalkeeper Gazzaniga, only for a Croatian forward to pounce on the rebound and push the score to 1-1.
Osasuna needed time to find their rhythm, but Aimar injected creativity and brought ideas to life whenever possible. The scoreline at halftime stood level, and Girona pushed forward, signaling a potential shift in momentum against them. Mojica entered with energy, producing a promising strike that nearly found the net after a deft move along the line. A renewed cross from the winger was met by Budimir’s anticipatory header, restoring Osasuna’s lead at 2-1.
The tempo cooled briefly as both sides sought fresh impetus, and the visitors brought on Viktor Tsygankov from Ukraine. Dovbyk’s clever movement created a dangerous cross that Miguel Gutiérrez could not clear, resulting in a 2-2 scoreline and a tense celebration from the Girona bench.
The night’s drama continued as Osasuna showed grit despite the mounting pressure. Tsygankov then converted to put Girona behind once again, a moment that seemed to tilt the match in favor of the hosts. Yet the contest swung back in favor of Girona when Aleix García added a decisive goal, beating the goalkeeper and sealing a dramatic 4-2 win for the Catalan side.
García’s finish stood out as a striking volley marked by precision and intent, a moment that perfectly captured the intensity of the match and left the Sadar crowd in stunned silence. The victory kept Girona firmly at the top of the standings in daylight and underlined the club’s determination as they faced the challenge of staying ahead while eyes remained on Real Madrid’s looming results.
In the end, Girona maintained their reputation as a stubborn away side. They had drawn just one league game on their travels and won the rest, a record that solidifies their status as leaders while the rest of the league juggled the schedule and awaited the next day’s outcomes.
Data sheet:
Osasuna: Herrera, Areso, Catena, David Garcia, Mojica; Torró, Chimy Ávila, Aimar, Moi Gómez, Peña; Budimir.
Girona: Gazzaniga, Arnau, Eric, Blind, Miguel; Couto, Herrera, Aleix García, Iván Martín, Savio; Dovbyk, Stuani.
Goals: Iván Martín 16, Budimir 25, Budimir 55, Dovbyk 71, Tsygankov 80, Aleix García 90.
Judge: Munuera Montero, assisted by Cabañero Martínez and Martínez Moreno. Yellow cards were shown to Chimy Ávila, Catena, Budimir and Torró for Osasuna, and to Eric, Arnau, Stuani and Tsygankov for the visitors.
Events: The match, the twelfth round of La Liga EA Sports, drew a crowd of 20,100 at the El Sadar stadium.