Second Division play-offs

Girona 3 - Córdoba 1 (after extra time)

Girona: Isaac Becerra; Aday (Pablo Maffeo 86’), Kiko Olivas, Richy, Lejeune, Carles Clerc; Eloi (Granell 46’), Pere Pons, Borja García; Cristian Herrera, Lekic (Rubén Sobrino 46‘). 5-3-2.
Córdoba: Razak; Stankevicius, Deivid, Héctor Rodas, Cisma; Nando (Pedro Ríos 68’), Luso (Pineda 97‘), Caballero, Fidel; Xisco (Víctor Pérez 73’), Raúl de Tomas. 4-4-2.

Goals:
0-1. 56. Xisco. Got behind defence to head Caballero centre down past Isaac.
1-1. 65. Borja García. Picked up short pass and struck angled shot past Razak.
2-1. 80. Aday. Connected with Sobrino cross and turned shot wide of keeper.
3-1. 117. Cristian Herrera. Picked up Pere Pons pass and ran on to lob Razak.

Yellow cards: Caballero 45’, Lejeune 63’, Rubén Sobrino 64’. Stankevicius 75’, 94’, Deivid 104’, Víctor Pérez 113’, Granell 115’ / red cards: Stankevicius 94’.

Girona will meet Osasuna in this season’s final after they came from behind to beat Córdoba 3-1 in the second leg of their semi-final on Thursday. Xisco had scored twice in the Arcángel stadium a few days ago, and once again he got behind the defence to put the Andalusians ahead early on in the second half. However some ten minutes later Borja García made it all square with an angled shot, and with ten minutes to go Aday scored his team’s second with a shot which took a slight deflection off a defender to wrong-foot Razak. That took the tie into extra time, and under competition rules the Catalans would have won if there were no more goals, as they were the higher ranked side at the end of the season. Stankevicius got himself sent off though for a second bookable offence, and with three minutes to go Cristian Herrera beat Razak for a third time to make sure of the result. Girona (who have never played in the top flight) missed out on promotion last year with virtually the last kick of the season, but just twelve months later they are back in the running!