Girona fail to break down stubborn Rayo Vallecano in goalless LaLiga draw
As Girona looked to recover from a disappointing start to the campaign, they were left frustrated by Rayo's defensive tactics in the first 45 minutes here. The visitors took the sting out of the contest right from the outset, taking their time with restarts while limiting the attacking potential of their hosts.
Remarkably, only one shot was registered by either side before ha;f time, with Yaser Asprilla spurning a huge chance for Girona.
Picked out by Miguel Gutierrez's searching cross, the Colombian arrived in space with the goal at his mercy, but his connection with the ball was poor and his effort bounced over the crossbar.
Rayo tried to shake things up at half time with two substitutions in midfield, but the changes didn’t have the desired effect and Girona continued to control the game.
Chances remained at a premium, but Asprilla continued to pose a threat to the visitors’ goal. On the hour, the former Watford winger let fly from range and was only denied by the woodwork, while Yangel Herrera, Viktor Tsygankov and Gutierrez also tried their luck but the opener continued to elude Michel’s men.
The entrance of Christian Stuani didn’t give Girona the impetus they needed, and their inability to break Rayo down gave the visitors hope they could snatch a late winner.
Andrei Ratiu first threatened from distance, before Alvaro Garcia got on the end of a flowing team move only to miss the target in the closing stages.
There was still time for Stuani to squander one of the game’s better chances, volleying over at the back post with the goal gaping.
It’s a point gained for Rayo having spent the vast majority of the 90 minutes trapped in their own half, with the result extending their unbeaten run to three matches.
While a stalemate provides welcome relief for Girona after a three-match losing streak across all competitions, their underwhelming beginning to this campaign continues as they remain rooted in the bottom-half of the table.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Miguel Gutierrez (Girona)