Girona inched closer to La Liga safety despite being forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Real Sociedad on Thursday night.
The hosts started brightly, with Joel Roca and Viktor Tsygankov both testing Alex Remiro inside the opening minutes, but Sociedad gradually settled and began threatening through the lively Takefusa Kubo and Luka Sucic.
The breakthrough arrived in the 28th minute when Jon Martin rose highest from a Sergio Gomez corner and powered a header into the corner to hand the visitors the lead. Girona responded positively before the break, creating pressure through Bryan Gil, Ounahi and Tsygankov, though Remiro remained unbeaten in goal.
The second half carried a far more frantic tempo, with bookings, fouls and substitutions constantly interrupting play. Girona pushed harder after Cristhian Stuani was introduced at half-time, and the veteran striker delivered the equaliser in the 66th minute. Arnau Martinez whipped in an inviting cross from the right, and Stuani reacted sharply inside the box to steer a low finish beyond Remiro.
Valencia share spoils with Vallecano
Valencia and Rayo Vallecano shared the points in a 1-1 draw, with both sides still at risk of relegation despite sitting in midtable.
The visitors threatened early and should have gone ahead inside the opening 10 minutes when Pacha Espino won a penalty after being fouled by Renzo Saravia. However, Randy Nteka struck the post from the spot to spare Valencia an immediate setback.
Rayo continued to push and eventually found their breakthrough in the 20th minute. Gerard Gumbau’s corner delivery was met perfectly by Florian Lejeune, whose header bounced into the bottom-left corner to give the Madrid side a deserved lead.
Valencia gradually grew into the contest, with Javi Guerra at the centre of much of their attacking play. The equaliser arrived five minutes before half-time as Guerra threaded a clever pass into Diego Lopez, who kept his composure inside the area and slotted low beyond Augusto Batalla.
The second half became increasingly scrappy. Valencia pushed hardest in the closing stages, forcing multiple corners in stoppage time, while Umar Sadiq and Cesar Tarrega both went close to finding a winner.
Rayo still carried threat on the counter through Jorge de Frutos and Pacha Espino, but neither side could produce the decisive moment in an evenly contested encounter.
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