Girona continue strong home form with win over Villarreal in LaLiga

[p]Both sides had been out of action for more than two weeks due to the international break, and there was perhaps an element of rustiness in a low-key first half, in which neither goalkeeper made a save.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/villarreal/lUatW5jE/"]Villarreal[/a] striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mikautadze-georges/QgN9t9CH/"]Georges Mikautadze[/a] looked likeliest to break the deadlock early on, firing a deflected effort just wide in the fourth minute before he was denied a certain goal by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vitor-reis/t4uwPGQ4/"]Vitor Reis[/a]’ excellent recovery challenge midway through the half. [/p][image alt="Match stats" id="d537c7d8-d508-4484-8d04-40bcf3ccf7fe" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="15678145-e196-4730-9f75-3c045c2b05ba" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/girona/nNNpcUSL/"]Girona[/a] lost top goalscorer [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vanat-vladyslav/2ZYrixTK/"]Vladyslav Vanat[/a] (G10) to injury after just 12 minutes, but his replacement, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ruiz-abel/EauanyEm/"]Abel Ruiz[/a], pounced on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/veiga-renato/r1cX4e0d/"]Renato Veiga[/a]’s underhit 28th-minute backpass and rounded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/luiz-junior/WShuFWRi/"]Luiz Junior[/a], only for Veiga to slide in and stop Ruiz’s pass reaching [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martin-ivan/vLPRaVJo/"]Ivan Martin[/a] for an easy tap-in.[/p][p][b]Reis headed just over from the resulting corner, but Girona benefitted from some good fortune in stoppage time as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/navarro-pau/2cEjjwj9/"]Navarro[/a] stuck out a leg and diverted [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/martinez-arnau/UTk2FzpS/"]Arnau Martinez[/a]’s cross into his own net. [/b][/p][p]It continued the hosts’ impressive first-half record in 2026, where they are yet to trail a match at the break (HT: W7, D6).[/p][p]Reis produced another goal-saving intervention three minutes after the restart when he blocked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/moreno-gerard/UwfDD083/"]Gerard Moreno[/a]’s volley at point-blank range, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tsygankov-viktor/8l99epoQ/"]Viktor Tsygankov[/a] was denied by a last-ditch tackle at the other end.[/p][p]Junior then parried away [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/witsel-axel/2JsUqijl/"]Axel Witsel[/a]’s effort from inside the box as Girona hunted a second goal, and Villarreal head coach Marcelino responded with a triple substitution, bringing on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/freeman-alexander/xxEtrKMD/"]Alex Freeman[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gonzalez-alfonso/IXim7pWh/"]Alfonso González[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/buchanan-tajon/G62SXlFI/"]Tajon Buchanan[/a] for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mourino-santiago/tQ4ufwYl/"]Santiago Mourino[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/moleiro-alberto/b5g6gWjn/"]Alberto Moleiro[/a], and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pepe-nicolas/j3Hk0qEj/"]Nicolas Pepe[/a]. [/p][image alt="Momentum graph" id="f7638121-2383-4eff-b895-baf5f54a17e1" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="ddb952b9-80b7-4e35-aa6a-cf0587fdc3dc" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]The Yellow Submarine failed to provide a grand finale, though, and while they remain 13 points clear of fifth-place [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/betis/vJbTeCGP/"]Real Betis[/a] in the race for a UEFA Champions League spot, a fourth defeat in their past seven away league games will be a concern (W1, D2).[/p][p]Girona climb to 12th after finally beating Villarreal in a home league fixture at the sixth attempt – the ideal preparation for Friday’s clash with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Real Madrid[/a] at the Bernabeu.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/witsel-axel/2JsUqijl/"]Axel Witsel[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/girona/nNNpcUSL/"]Girona[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/girona-nNNpcUSL/villarreal-lUatW5jE/?mid=4SVXY4WF"]Check out all the match stats here[/a][/b][/p]