Girona lost its second UEFA Champions League game of the campaign with a 3-2 defeat at home to Dutch side Feyenoord on Wednesday after 90 thrilling minutes that saw two penalties saved, an own goal and some questionable defending.
Girona got off to a bright start in the first European game ever played in its Montilivi Stadium and took the lead after 19 minutes when the ball fell kindly for veteran defender David Lopez following a corner, allowing him to poke the La Liga side ahead.
The lead lasted just four minutes before Feyenoord leveled from a free kick, with a touch of controversy.
There looked to be a couple of Dutch players offside when Igor Paixao swung in the set piece, which Quinten Timber got his head, only for the ball to deflect into the Girona goal off Yangel Herrera. There was a brief VAR review before the goal was given to the frustration of the home fans.
Girona then lost winger Viktor Tsyhankov with what looked like a hamstring injury, before Feyenoord took the lead in the 33rd minute wh
en Antoni Milambo exploited a big hole in the Girona defense to wrong-foot Paulo Gazzaniga in the home side’s goal.
It should have been 3-1 moments later, but Gazzaniga made a fine save to deny Ayase Ueda’s spot kick after the Girona goalkeeper had played Ivan Martin into trouble with a pass from the back.
Girona took a step forward in the second half, although some of their passes out of defense were not for fans of a nervous disposition.
Donny van de Beek’s pullback saw David Hancko deflect the ball into his own net, but the goal was ruled out for offside, before Girona had a perfect chance to equalize when Feyenoord goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther failed to hold a cross and then brought down Bojan Miovski to commit a penalty.
Miovski picked himself up, but Wellenreuther at full stretch saved his spot kick.
Van de Beek finally leveled for Girona after excellent work from Arnaut Danjuma in the 73rd minute, but the game had yet another twist when Girona defender Ladislav Krejci deflected Hancko’s low cros
s past Gazzaniga to put Feyenoord back ahead with what turned out to be the decisive goal.
Source: The Namibia News Agency