On Thursday, Girona will discover its first opponent in the league, a name that will settle the early mood for the campaign. There will be no familiar close rivals like Alcorcón or Amorebieta, and the closest geographic references might point to Real Madrid or Athletic Bilbao as potential derbies. The prospect of clashes with Barça and Espanyol returns, while Real Sociedad A will feature at Anoeta, not at their usual venue. The wait is over, at last.
After years of fighting to return to the top flight, Girona is back in the First Division. The team has endured the fate of playoff nerves and the lingering “promotion curse,” yet success has finally placed them among the elite. The red-and-white squad carries a quiet optimism, a sense that the hard work of the season is paying off, albeit with the lingering questions many fans have about the financial and structural challenges that have followed them along the road. The leadership under Michel has shown a steady hand, guiding the club through moments of doubt and helping the squad exorcise past fears that weighed on the team’s shoulders.
The team’s revival has its most symbolic figure in the club’s historic striker. The club’s most lethal finisher has added another milestone to his ledger, underscoring the level of talent within the squad. Like Eibar in its prime, this season’s campaign features a player who can turn games on the moment, the kind of finisher who thrives when the stakes are highest. Christian Stuani, at 36, did not want to part with the game before securing another season in the First Division, ensuring his presence remains a living banner of Girona’s progress and identity.
Then followed the rest of the cast, moving with resolve. Samu Saiz stepped into the breach, and the team did not miss a beat even as Alex Baena arrived, moments after receiving a yellow card and amid the captain’s stern reminders about focus. The squad pressed on with a sense of purpose, the kind that defined their fight in the late stages of the season as they pushed for the finish line. Tenerife’s resilience provided a stern test, as the visitors found ways to resist Girona’s momentum and push the encounter toward a dramatic conclusion.
A moment from the matchbook captured a thread of the tension: a bottle hurled from the stands, reflecting the raw emotion of a pitch that carried dreams and sometimes, volatility. The scene was shared to fans by fitness and football programming, a vivid snapshot of a night when emotions ran hot and the stakes were lucid for everyone watching. The moments that followed showed the channels at full fever pitch as the night wore on.
Both teams mirrored last week’s intensity, with the best performers on each side recognized by the coaches as the pivotal players in the season’s most consequential match. Tenerife set out with the intention of defending and stealing back control at Girona, while Girona sought to secure a draw that would keep their momentum intact. The home side did not intend to relinquish control easily, and their approach remained focused and pragmatic as they sought to balance attack and discipline.
As the siege wore on, Michel’s lineup pressed higher, aiming to puncture Tenerife’s defense and tilt the balance in their favor. The Canary Islands team did not cede their position lightly; they responded with a stubbornness that kept Girona’s efforts under constant scrutiny. The match’s early exchanges suggested a contest defined as much by tactical discipline as by moments of individual brilliance.
In the end, the deadlock began to tilt toward Girona’s advantage when the breakthrough finally appeared. The early pressure bore fruit, and the supporters watched as a late surge of offensive actions finally yielded priority in the game’s final phase. The visitors offered a stubborn reply, yet Girona managed to weather the storm and maintain their path toward the First Division dream. A late free kick addition from Arnau highlighted Girona’s readiness to capitalize on set pieces, reinforcing the sense that the squad’s character and cohesion had grown stronger with every challenge faced during the season.
Data sheet
Tenerife: Soriano (4); Moore (5), Sergio González (5), José León (5), Mellot (4), Mollejo (6), Sanz (6), Corredera (6), Bermejo (4); Enric Gallego (4), Mario Gonzalez (5).
Coach: Luis Miguel Ramis (4).
Amendments: Ruiz (7), S. González (art. 46); Ely (5) Bermejo (d. 64); Shahoua (5), M. González (d. 64); Muñoz (sc) Mellot (d. 78); By Martín (sc) Corredera (d. 81).
Girona: Juan Carlos (7); Bueno (7), Bernardo (7), Juanpe (8); Arnau (7), Lozano (6), Valery (6); I. Martin (sc), Aleix (7); Baena (7), Stuani (8).
Coach: Michel Sanchez (8).
Amendments: Saiz (7) for I. Martín (art. 17); V. Sánchez (soon) Saiz (d. 85); Nahuel (sc) Stuani (d. 85); Terrats (sc) Baena (d. 91); Jairo () Arnau (d. 91); .
Goals: 0-1 (art. 42), Stuani (l); 1-1 (art. 59), Ruiz; 1-2 (m. 68), José Leon (pp.), 1-3 (m. 80), Arnau.
Judge: Archdeacon Monescillo (7), cast from La Mancha.
Cards: Corredera (m. 13), Gallego (m. 31), Juanpe (m. 32), S. González (m. 41), Baena (m-68), Saiz (m. 81). Aleix (d. 90), V. Sánchez (d. 97).
Stadium: Heliodoro Rodriguez.
Audience: 22,083.