Girona snatch thrilling 4-3 win over Atletico
Girona's Spanish midfielder Ivan Martin (2R) celebrates with teammates scoring his team's fourth goal during the Spanish league football match between Girona FC and Club Atletico de Madrid at the Montilivi stadium in Girona on January 3, 2024. (Photo by Pau BARRENA / AFP)
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Spanish title challengers Girona snatched a remarkable 4-3 victory over
Atletico Madrid to keep pace with Real Madrid at the top of La Liga on
Wednesday.
After Madrid
edged Real Mallorca 1-0, Ivan Martin's stoppage time strike ensured the Catalan
minnows matched Carlo Ancelotti's side on 48 points from 19 matches.
Alvaro
Morata hit a hat-trick for Atletico at Girona's tiny Montilivi stadium, but it
was not enough as Martin found the top corner at the death to keep Girona
firmly in the hunt for the title.
Atletico
Madrid, third, trail Los Blancos and Girona by 10 points, as do champions
Barcelona, fourth, who visit Las Palmas on Thursday.
Valery
Fernandez, Savinho and Daley Blind netted for the hosts in a wild first half,
with Morata twice scoring for Atletico.
The Spain
international completed his treble early in the second period to pull Atletico
level but Martin's last gasp heroics snatched Girona victory from a compelling
clash.
Girona, in
only their fourth season in the top flight in their history, could have taken
the lead inside the first minute.
Artem Dovbyk
fired wide at the near post when well placed, but his team did not have to wait
much longer.
Valery
curled home in the second minute beyond Jan Oblak with a fine strike from the
edge of the area.
Morata
pulled Atletico level after being teed up by Antoine Griezmann, and although
his effort was ruled out for offside, VAR proved otherwise.
Girona were
quickly back ahead with Savinho netting after 26 minutes, turning home after
Oblak parried Martin's effort.
Michel
Sanchez's side pressed high and Atletico were extremely fragile when bringing
the ball out from the back.
Blind turned
home the third after Aleix Garcia's cross was cleverly flicked on to the back
post by Dovbyk's outstretched boot.
Morata was
heavily involved for Atletico and after netting from Rodrigo de Paul's pass,
struck again -- this time he was offside.
The forward
slashed another effort over before completing his hat-trick after the break
with the aid of a slight deflection, after being sent through again by De Paul.
Oblak was
sharp to deny Dovbyk as Girona hunted for a winner, with the game still
relentlessly flowing from end-to-end.
Eventually
Martin found it, scrapping for an inch of space inside the area and cleverly
prodding a finish into the top corner, with Oblak only able to watch as
Girona's dream grew bigger still.

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