Girona snatched a vital point in their battle against relegation, thanks to a trademark late strike from their talisman Cristhian Stuani in the 90th minute against Rayo Vallecano.
Stuani celebrates in Vallecas.
Rayo Vallecano 1-1 Girona
Long live Stuani
Although the point alone won’t lift them out of danger, every single result is crucial for a Girona side fighting to avoid the drop. After falling behind to a Rayo goal in the 86th minute, the visitors turned to their legend and all-time top scorer. Cristhian Stuani, as he has so often in his career, stepped up when his teammates needed him most and when coach Míchel looked to the bench for a solution.
Immediately after entering the field, the Uruguayan saw Alemão put Rayo 1-0 ahead. But from a corner delivered by Tsygankov, Stuani used his head like a hammer to guide a cross-shot beyond Batalla’s reach, leveling the match in the 90th minute. The goal sparked euphoria and renewed belief in Girona’s survival fight, with the team celebrating as if they had won.
The result leaves Girona two points above the relegation zone. Their next challenge is to build on this away point—their first positive road result since a January 16 win at Espanyol—by securing a home victory against Real Sociedad at Montilivi. Such a win could virtually guarantee survival after a disastrous start to the season.
Girona had entered the match on a three-match losing streak against Betis, Valencia, and Mallorca, following a draw at the Bernabéu that had left them nine points above the drop. But as recent form showed, the job was far from done.
Struggling without a natural No. 9
With Vanat sidelined for the season due to a serious muscle injury and Abel Ruiz only just returning to the squad after recovering from his own issue, Míchel has relied solely on Stuani as his focal point in attack over the last three defeats. Stuani himself had been recovering from a double calf strain. For the trip to Vallecas, Míchel opted not to start either Claudio Echeverri or the veteran Uruguayan. Instead, Lemar played as the most advanced attacker, supported by Ounahi in the hole and Tsygankov and Joel Roca out wide.
The experiment didn’t work. Girona lacked a reference point, a finishing touch, and struggled to trouble Batalla until the moment Stuani stepped onto the pitch. The natural-born striker equalized in the 90th minute, just four minutes after Rayo’s opener, salvaging a 1-1 draw.
