February 27, (THEWILL) – A late Savio brace helped Girona to a comfortable 3-0 home victory against 10-man Rayo Vallecano on Monday night. The result ends a three-match winless run for the high-flying hosts and moves them back into second place in La Liga though having played two more games than fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.
Girona struggled to create many chances in the first half, with their best opportunities falling to Yangel Herrera from a 36th-minute corner and then a cutback three minutes later. However, Herrera could not seriously test Rayo goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski on either occasion.
The hosts looked much improved after the break and opened the scoring in the 52nd minute through Viktor Tsygankov, who swept home from close range for his sixth league goal of the campaign. Rayo’s task became much harder in the 70th minute when substitute Pep Chavarria was shown two yellow cards in quick succession to be dismissed.
With a man advantage, Girona dominated the closing stages and secured the points, thanks to two late goals in injury time from Savio. The Brazilian beat the tired Rayo defence twice in the space of a minute to give the scoreline a comfortable look for the hosts.
The win leaves Rayo in 14th place and seven points above the La Liga relegation zone, without a victory in their last six outings. Girona, meanwhile, remain firmly in contention for the title but will willingly accept a top-four finish this season.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
