Girona is making history. The Catalan team has drawn 3-3 against Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey, and they were playing away, at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid. Goals from Valery, the tireless Stuani and Doumbia see them through to the quarter finals.
Girona, eighteen months after rising to the first league of Spanish football, continues proving its mettle. With its humble, hard-working attitude, they continue to make their mark at the highest levels of the game in Spain.
Following a 1-1 draw in the first leg, today's result sees them through to the quarter finals of the Copa del Rey for the first time in the team's history.
EFE
Atlético's nightmare
Girona have managed qualification, and against one of their favourite opponents. Diego Pablo Simeone, Madrid's coach, just can't find a way to beat them: all their meetings have ended tied.
Kalinic, up front for Atlético, set Girona's nerves on edge in just the twelfth minute. But the Catalans responded well to the Croatian forward's goal, bursting into action. Young winger Valery equalised the match before half-time.
But they weren't satisfied with that: Stuani wanted his own say. Girona's star put them ahead and put the screws on Simeone, forcing him to put all his cards on the table.
EFE
Girona resistance
But Atlético have their own star too: Griezmann. The French player came onto the field with half an hour left and turned the match on its head again. First, Correa brought them level and then, in the 84th minute, Griezmann got in a third.
Now it seemed that the final score would be 3-2 to Atlético, it was time for a dark horse to come good. Borja García, who had never finished a major match, got off a strong shot to the bottom left which Doumbia got a foot to to squeeze it past the keeper.
Down twice in the game, Girona's resistance kicked in on both occasions. Atlético's supporters as one put their heads in their hands, as the Catalan team held on the last few minutes to the final whistle.