Alaves level late to keep Girona sweating on second spot in LaLiga 

Alaves salvaged a dramatic draw against Girona, securing a 2-2 result with Jon Guridi’s 100th-minute header at the Mendizorroza Stadium, keeping the visitors sweating on their second spot in LaLiga.

Despite Girona’s recent celebrations following their historic UEFA Champions League qualification, they showed no signs of fatigue as Eric García nodded in Viktor Tsyhankov’s corner just four minutes into the game to give them an early lead. However, their joy was short-lived as Alaves quickly responded, with Guridi converting Giuliano Simeone’s precise pass past Paulo Gazzaniga to equalize the score.

Alaves had opportunities to take the lead, notably through Carlos Vicente, but Girona’s goalkeeper stood firm. Nonetheless, Míchel’s side regained their advantage before halftime, courtesy of Jesus Owono’s clever finish and Yangel Herrera’s thunderous strike off Artem Dovbyk’s clever backheel.

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Despite Girona’s dominance and their near-misses in the second half, Alaves showed resilience and determination. Owono thwarted Ivan Martín’s effort, and a crucial save from the Equatoguinean goalkeeper denied Dovbyk. With time running out, Guridi rose to the occasion, heading home to secure a crucial point for Alaves and deny Girona a vital away win.

This late drama continued the trend of Girona struggling at the Mendizorroza Stadium, having only won twice in their last 14 away encounters with Alaves across all competitions. Meanwhile, Alaves remains in contention for their first top-half finish in seven years, with a challenging fixture against champions Real Madrid on the horizon.