Míchel Sánchez soaked up the applause after his Girona workforce, the shock chief of the Spanish league, gained once more on Saturday.
This time, nevertheless, the cheers got here from Rayo Vallecano followers following Girona’s 2-1 comeback win.
Girona stayed two factors forward of Real Madrid, which routed Valencia 5-1 with Brazilians Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo getting two targets every.
Míchel performed most of his profession as a midfielder for Rayo, and he returned as a coach for the modest Madrid-based membership. The Rayo devoted greeted him with indicators bearing his identify and chants of “Míchel! Míchel!”
“Girona’s fans are my fans now, but what I have felt today from the fans of Rayo is incredible,” the 48-year-old coach stated. “This is one of the most beautiful days I have had (in soccer). They showed me their warmth as a player and coach, and what they did for me today was special.”
Míchel, who goes by his first identify in Spain, returned to teach Rayo for 2 seasons earlier than ultimately making it to northeast Catalonia to take over at Girona in 2021.
Now, he has turned Girona into one of many sensations of European soccer.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti stated that he expects Girona to remain within the title race.
“Girona is playing very well, better than the rest of us,” Ancelotti stated after his workforce crushed Valencia. “I am sure that they can fight for the league (title), I have no doubt.”
Girona clicked as soon as once more at Vallecas Stadium. Ukraine striker Artem Dovbyk was arrange by countryman Viktor Tsyhankov within the forty second minute for his team-high seventh objective of the season. That canceled out Álvaro García’s sixth-minute opener for Rayo.
Dovbyk used his massive body to brush off his marker and switch whereas receiving a squared cross from Tsyhankov earlier than he fired residence from the middle of the field.
The two Ukrainians performed an element in Sávio’s go-ahead objective within the sixty fifth as effectively. After Daley Blind recovered the ball, Tsyhankov once more discovered Dovbyk within the space. Goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski did effectively to get his leg on Dovbyk’s shot, however Sávio was there to place within the rebound.
Girona, which two seasons in the past was within the second division, is partly managed by Manchester City’s Abu Dhabi possession regardless that it has one of many lowest payrolls within the league of simply 51 million euros ($54 million).
The numbers are spectacular for the Catalan workforce that’s in solely its fourth season within the prime flight in membership historical past. It has 11 wins in 13 rounds, together with six wins in seven street video games, and has 5 come-from-behind victories. Its solely loss got here at residence to Madrid in September. It leads the league with 31 targets scored.
“This team showed again that it does not give up, and we seem to play better when we are behind,” stated midfielder Aleix García, who was referred to as up by Spain this week.
García stated that his workforce can now aspire to greater issues than merely avoiding a relegation battle, which was its most important intention in earlier seasons.
“We have bigger goals now. We can dream,” García stated. “We deserve to be where we are. We have a very tight group. We are like a family. We have this connection on the field that I am not sure where it comes from, but it is there.”
Rayo fell to tenth place, behind Valencia in ninth.
MADRID KEEPS SCORING
For a second straight recreation, Madrid had no drawback scoring whereas Jude Bellingham nursed a damage shoulder.
Bellingham, who leads the league with 10 targets and has scored 13 total for his new membership, was within the stands on the Santiago Bernabeu after he had remained on the bench for Madrid’s 3-0 win at Braga within the Champions League earlier this week.
Right again Dani Carvajal put Madrid forward simply three minutes after kickoff when he volleyed a shot from exterior the realm.
Hugo Duro had three good possibilities to tug Valencia stage. But Andriy Lunin, who began within the place of the injured Kepa Arrizabalaga, saved Duro’s first two pictures earlier than the striker failed when attempting to move in a cross that reached proper in entrance of the objective.
Moments later Vinícius was celebrating his first objective within the forty second after he dove and used his chest to show in a low bouncing cross from Rodrygo.
The Brazil winger added a second objective within the forty ninth when he blasted in a right-footed shot from exterior the realm.
A minute later Rodrygo made it 4 after intercepting a poor cross by goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. He then added a fifth within the 84th.
Duro obtained his objective for Valencia late.
Barcelona is in third place at 5 factors behind Madrid earlier than internet hosting Alaves on Sunday, when fourth-place Atletico Madrid hosts Villarreal.
LEAVING IT LATE
Sixth-place Real Sociedad scored twice in stoppage time to win 3-1 at last-place Almeria, which remained winless.
Almeria was heading for a draw in opposition to Sociedad till a disastrous stoppage time. Carlos Fernández transformed a penalty to make it 2-1 after a video assessment led to the referee penalizing Sergio Akieme for a handball within the field. Martín Zubimendi then added a 3rd objective.
Ante Budimir scored to offer host Osasuna a 1-1 draw with Las Palmas, whereas relegation-threatened Granada drew with Getafe 1-1.
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