A point closer to the Liga BBVA

The points were shared between Girona FC and R. Zaragoza in one of the most thrilling encounters of matchday 38 of the Liga Adelante. With everything to play for and plenty of pulsating excitement throughout the encounter, the 1-1 scoreline keeps both sides’ hopes of promotion alive, and ensures that the Aragon outfit stays in the promotion places.

Zaragoza only needed two minutes to take the lead. The visitors came flying out of the traps with Diego Rico breeching the Catalans’ defence in the game’s first real attack. The left back slipped the ball past Isaac Becerra to make it 0-1 while there were still fans making their way to their seats. Girona settled into the match and hit make with a Fran Sandaza effort, which went over the bar. The Girona front man and his partner in crime, Jaime Mata, threatened Bono’s goal shortly afterwards, but the away side held onto their lead at the conclusion of the first half.

The Catalans controlled the tempo of the game after the break, while Zaragoza enjoyed the better goalscoring opportunities. Borja Bastón was Ranko Popović’s most menacing man on the pitch, and could have stretched the visitors’ lead on three separate occasions. However, a combination of solid defending and a lack of precision prevented Zaragoza from getting another. Just as it seemed as though the Serbian’s charges had the result wrapped up, Girona came agonisingly close to getting an equaliser, when a Jandro shot from inside the box came crashing off the post. Montilivi’s players refused to relinquish second place in the table, a position that would earn them automatic promotion to the Liga BBVA, and finally levelled matters in the 88' thanks to a Carles Mas header from a free kick. The draw keeps both clubs’ chances of promotion alive.