This Wednesday, Girona took an important step towards returning to La Liga, by winning 3-0 at home to Almeria, in the first leg of the semi-finals of the playoffs in the second Spanish League.
Girona’s bursting entry was decisive for the outcome of the game, as it yielded two goals in the space of two minutes, at three and five minutes, the first by Panamanian midfielder Yoel Barcenas and the second by the 18-year-old Brazilian right-back , Yan Couto. The Catalan team finished the result in the second half, in the 65th minute, by the Senegalese striker Mamadou Sylla, who had already provided the assistance for the second goal.
In the first eleven of Almeria entered the Portuguese under-21 international João Carvalho, a midfielder who is on loan from Nottingham Forest, who competes in the Championship, second tier of English football, but would be replaced at half-time by the Spaniard Ager Aketxe. Almeria also had the contribution of another Portuguese midfielder, Samuel Costa, who is on loan from Sp. Braga and who entered right after the break, replacing Serbian Nikola Maras, ex-Chaves, while central Ivanildo Fernandes, loaned by Sporting , did not come out of the bank.
The Andalusian team was coached by Portuguese coach José Gomes until the end of March, when he was fired, when the team followed in third place, with 62 points, 12 behind leader Espanyol, and six behind second-placed Majorca.
The semi-final second leg will be played in Almeria, on Saturday, while the other semi-final first leg is scheduled for Thursday between Rayo Vallecano and Leganés, two teams from Madrid. second hand next Sunday.
Leganés, ranked third in the Second League, had to face the sixth ranked, Rayo Vallecano, while Almeria, who ranked fourth, crossed paths with fifth, Girona, having directly moved up to Espanyol and Majorca, first and runners-up, respectively, to La Liga.
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