Celta Vigo suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Girona on Sunday, allowing the visitors to reclaim the lead in the Spanish La Liga. Girona, who have been the surprise package of the season, moved one point ahead of Real Madrid, who had temporarily topped the table after beating Las Palmas on Saturday.
The only goal of the game came in the 20th minute, when Girona player Portu converted an assist from Miguel Mittierez.
Celta, who had lost their previous two league games, tried to respond, but they lacked creativity and accuracy in the final third. Their best chance fell to Jorgen Strand Larsen, who forced a save from Paulo Gazzaniga in the 79th minute, but the Norwegian forward could not beat the Argentine keeper.
Girona, who had lost their previous league game against Mallorca, showed more composure and discipline, and defended well to preserve their slender lead. They also had some opportunities to extend their advantage, but Joel Roca and Ricard Artero missed the target.
The result means that Girona have 55 points from 22 games, one more than Real Madrid, who have played 20 games. Celta remain in sixteenth place with 17 points, three behind fifteenth-placed Mallorca.
Girona coach Michel Sanchez praised his team’s performance and said they deserved to be at the top of the league. “We played a very complete game, we were solid, we created chances, and we scored a goal. We are very happy with the win and with the position we are in. We have worked hard to get here and we will keep working hard to stay here,” he said.
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Celta coach Eduardo Coudet admitted that his team were below par and congratulated Girona for their victory. “We did not play well, we did not have the intensity and the clarity that we usually have. We have to accept that we lost to a better team, who are doing an amazing job this season. We have to learn from this defeat and improve for the next game,” he said.
