Girona relegated from LaLiga on last day as Elche stay up after draw

[p]The equation was simple for this particular skirmish within the wider relegation dogfight: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/girona/nNNpcUSL/"]Girona[/a] needed to win, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/elche/4jl02tPF/"]Elche[/a] simply had to avoid defeat.[/p][p]The home side duly dominated possession in the early stages, controlling nearly three-quarters of the ball during the opening 15 minutes. Understandably, though, neither team looked willing to make the first move, as the opening half hour passed without a single shot at either end.[/p][p]That was until the 39th minute, when Elche broke the deadlock with a moment of pure brilliance.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bigas-pedro/8docB4Zn/"]Pedro Bigas[/a] headed into the box for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rodriguez-alvaro/QXjmYRUE/"]Alvaro Rodriguez[/a], and the striker showed incredible composure to take multiple touches, almost playing keepy-uppy in the box with Girona defenders applying the pressure, before turning and lashing into the roof of the net. [/b][/p][image alt="Match momentum" id="582043b0-9a3a-45d7-b16d-a195357cac25" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="041dcc30-2d22-426a-92bb-6568676b4389" original-width="1920" original-height="1080" /][p]Michel had one final half-time team talk to inspire his players to secure top-flight survival, and whatever the Spaniard said clearly worked, as Girona levelled the scoreline less than three minutes after the restart.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ounahi-azzedine/reDF5hxm/"]Azzedine Ounahi[/a] lashed a free-kick goalwards, which [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dituro-matias/6uLxUVCT/"]Matias Dituro[/a] could only parry into the path of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinez-arnau/UTk2FzpS/"]Arnau Martínez[/a], who fired home the rebound with a clinical first-time finish.[/b][/p][p]The home side struggled to use the momentum of the equaliser to their advantage; however, with the contest replicating the first half, turning into a stop-start, scrappy affair. With 10 minutes remaining, it was do or die for Girona and they pushed everything forward to gain the lead.[/p][embed guid="80ea80eb-c91c-4338-9560-dae103337f79" url="https://x.com/LaLigaEN/status/2058293405877174315" social-type="twitter" /][p]The pressure almost told then [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lemar-thomas/jX8PENMO/"]Thomas Lemar[/a] picked up the ball outside the box and unleashed a stunning strike, but it cannoned off the crossbar, much to the agony of the home crowd.[/p][p]In the end, Elche’s defence put up a battling performance to hold on and claim the point, which secured their top-flight status for another season after their promotion last year.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bigas-pedro/8docB4Zn/"]Pedro Bigas[/a] (Elche)[/b][/p][image alt="Girona have been relegated" id="2148c26b-d53d-43c3-bce5-f06ae1b2f7ff" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="669ff06c-04a4-4122-9ae6-894eb5403276" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/elche-4jl02tPF/girona-nNNpcUSL/summary/stats/?mid=ltgBTwVG"]Catch up on all the match stats with Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]