Míchel’s men fell to Valencia thanks to a penalty that Soler converted
Gattuso had to manage his team with ten players almost the entire second half for Cömert’s red card
pain and frustration in the return of Míchel’s Girona to the highest category. The rojiblancos succumbed to a Valencia team that took advantage of their rival’s shortcomings and embraced Carles Soler’s solitary goal to claim victory on the opening day of LaLiga, having to pour water out of the boat for the entire second half due to stay with ten after the expulsion of the Swiss Cömert.
DATA SHEET
LaLiga Santander
VAL
turn
LINEUPS
Valencia
Mamardashvili; Correia, Cömert, Diakhaby, Vázquez (Lato, 73′); Soler (Foulquier, 63′), Guillamón, Musah; Castillejo (Nico González, 73′), Duro (Mosquera, 53′), Samuel Lino (Maxi Gómez, 73′).
Girona
Juan Carlos; Well, David López (Stuani, 61′), Juanpe; Couto (Arnau, 82′), Terrats (Yangel, 74′), Aleix García, Valery (Gutiérrez, 61′); Riquelme, Samu Saiz (Urena, 61′); Castilians.
Referee
Figueroa Vázquez (Andalusian). TA: Correia (56′) / Couto (14′), Saiz (44′), Valery (45′). TR: Cömert (53′).
Incidents
Day 1. Mestalla. 39,539 spectators.
Only that penalty goal at the stroke of half-time was enough to give Valencia the victory in a clash in which they played almost the entire second half in inferiority and in which the locals were superior in the first period and Girona dominated in the second, but without being able to find Mamardashvili’s goal.
The local goal came in the last minute of the first period when transforming Soler a penalty after some hands from Valery inside the area in the kick of a foul launched by Samu Castillejo. Mistake that Míchel’s defense paid dearly for and from which they never managed to recover in the match
Not even when in the 56th minute the Valencia center-back was sent off Comert after a foul in the center of the field, tilting the control of the game towards the side of Girona, although without many scoring chances against a Valencia that defended with great order and that gave Gattuso his first league joy.