Head coach Michel hailed Girona's resilience after they earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory at Getafe on Sunday, despite riding their luck at times.
Getafe were the better side for much of the contest but Yangel Herrera's towering header in the first half was enough to seal victory for Girona, who were missing 12 first-team players due to injuries.
The visitors only had three shots in total, hitting the target twice, as they accumulated just 0.19 expected goals (xG). While Getafe registered 0.61 xG, they failed to test goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga, allowing Girona to clinch the win with a more clinical performance.
"Today's performance was not our best, obviously, and everyone could see that, but you have to appreciate how the boys defended," Michel told DAZN.
"God knows how many crosses they attempted, they had eight shots, and we kept most off the target. That's great defending. With the only real chance we created in the game, it was a goal. We knew it was going to be difficult.
"They are a team that presses well, they have done it to all teams and that's why they were undefeated at home. We've been very competitive, as you need to be to win here."
Girona earned back-to-back league wins for the first time in more than two months, and sit 10th in LaLiga going into the international break. It was also an important win for them, having suffered a 4-0 defeat to PSV in the Champions League earlier last week.
Michel said he is hoping the two-week rest they will have in the international break will help them get some of their key players back from injury, such as Abel Ruiz, Arnaut Danjuma, Viktor Tsygankov or Yaser Asprilla, among others.
"That's our reality and that's why those were three very, very valuable points. The way the team is at the moment, we need to rest and get some of the boys back," Michel said.
"I think after the international break we're going to have, I hope, fingers crossed, more players available, and today it was very important to get a positive result."
Girona 0-3 Real Madrid: Bellingham and Mbappe score as Blancos close on Barcelona
Real Madrid closed the gap on LaLiga leaders Barcelona to two points with a commanding 3-0 win at Girona, with goals from Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler and Kylian Mbappe.
Second-placed Madrid have 36 points with a game in hand on Barca, who drew 2-2 at Real Betis earlier on Saturday, after inflicting Girona's sixth loss of the campaign.
Bellingham opened the scoring in the 36th minute by capitalising on a loose ball and firing home from the centre of the box, with the England international then turning provider for Madrid's second goal.
Ten minutes into the second half, his defence-splitting throughball teed up Guler to double Madrid's lead, though Bellingham was withdrawn with an injury soon afterwards.
Mbappe then added further gloss shortly after the hour mark, firing home from a tight angle for his ninth league goal of the season.
Data debrief: Mbappe brings up double century
Mbappe's ninth league goal for Madrid was also his 200th in his career across Europe's top five leagues, on his 261st such appearance.
He netted 16 times for Monaco and 175 times with Paris Saint-Germain.
He was not the only Blancos star with something to celebrate, as Bellingham made it five straight games with a goal for the very first time in Europe's top leagues, though his second-half exit will concern Carlo Ancelotti.
STETHS end title drought with 3-1 Ben Francis Cup win over Clarendon College
St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) celebrated their seventh hold on the ISSA/Wata Ben Francis Cup in commanding fashion after defeating dethroned daCosta Cup champions Clarendon College 3-1 in an entertaining final at the National Stadium on Saturday.
Goals from Trinidad and Tobago’s Kaieem Lewis (27th), Henry Johnson (45+2), and substitute Jordan Blake (90+3) ended an eight-year title drought for the Santa Cruz-based institution. Their last triumph came in 2015, when they secured a memorable double, winning both the daCosta Cup and the Ben Francis Cup.
This latest success adds to a decorated history in the competition, with previous titles in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
Meanwhile, Justin Hayles (69th) pulled one back for Clarendon College, who finished the season empty-handed for the first time in recent memory.
Winning coach Omar Wedderburn is optimistic that this title win is the start of their resurgence for even greater ambitions in the seasons ahead, as it serves as a reminder of their rich legacy in schoolboy football.
“It feels incredible to finally bring this title back home; we came here today with a lot of heart, so we are really happy. It is almost a decade now since we won anything at STETHS, and I think this is the way to start. We have to creep before we walk, and this is our creeping right now because we have great plans for next year, and this will motivate our programme going forward,” a jubilant Wedderburn said post-match.
STETHS entered the contest with purpose, but it was Clarendon College who initially looked more threatening in the early exchanges.
In the 10th minute, Dameon Simms had an opportunity for the Chapelton-based Clarendon College deep inside the box, only to be denied by Johnoi Steadman in goal for STETHS.
The Santa Cruz outfit began asserting themselves shortly after, with Lewis narrowly missing the target in the 16th minute. STETHS appeared to have broken the deadlock in the 24th minute when Justin McPherson found the back of the net, but the goal was ruled offside.
Still, persistence paid off three minutes later, as Dantay Hewitt's pass found Lewis in the box, and the Trinidadian comfortably slotted home from close range to give STETHS the lead.
Right before halftime, Joshaine Beecher’s dynamic run on the break set up Johnson, whose perfectly timed overlapping run ended with a clinical finish past Clarendon College’s goalkeeper Marco Thompson to put STETHS 2-0 up at the break.
Clarendon College came out with renewed vigour on the resumption, with Justin Hayles forcing two strong saves from Steadman a few minutes in.
The pressure eventually yielded results in the 69th minute when Antwon McDonald was brought down in the box, and Hayles calmly converted the ensuing penalty to reduce the deficit.
Clarendon College continued to press for an equalizer, but Steadman remained resolute, denying Dusean Petgrave in the 76th minute to maintain STETHS’s advantage.
Though still in charge in the dying moments of the contest, STETHS showcased their composure and teamwork with a fluid sequence involving four or five passes. Substitute Blake capped off the well-worked build-up with a curling left-footed shot past the diving Thompson to seal the 3-1 victory.
Clarendon College’s Technical Director, Lenworth Hyde, expressed a mixed bag of emotions at the outcome.
“Such is the game; this year we have been in an out with players; we lost a lot of our players last year and brought in some new players this year. After we got knocked out of the daCosta Cup, we cut the squad again and brought up some Under-16 players to play as we build for next season. I think we tried, but STETHS was just quicker than us, and we didn’t make use of our chances,” Hyde said.
Over $1 million in cash and prizes up for grabs at Pocket Rocket Foundation's Six- A-Side Football Finals on Sunday
The grand finale of the Pocket Rocket Foundation Six-A-Side ‘Peace Through Sports’ Football Competition is set for Sunday, December 8, at the Red Stripe Sports Complex, 214 Spanish Town Road in Kingston.
After a thrilling set of semi-final matches, Medley Mixers advanced with an impressive 3-0 victory over Legacy, while Friends for Real edged out Legend 1-0 in a hard-fought contest.
Now, the two teams will battle for the championship title in what promises to be an exciting end to the tournament.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, founder and chairwoman of the Pocket Rocket Foundation, shared her excitement.
“These past few weeks have been amazing. We have achieved some incredible milestones this year—having the most teams ever in the competition and welcoming our first female player. The games have been intense, but what stands out is the sense of togetherness and community. As the competition wraps up, I am really looking forward to seeing what these teams bring to the finals. It has been such an inspiring journey, and Sunday is going to be a great way to close it all out.”
The closing ceremony will include the presentation of the Championship Trophy, along with cash prizes of $300,000 for the first-place team, $200,000 for the second-place team, and $100,000 for the third-place team.
There are also over $500,000 in prizes for Individual awards for Top Goal Scorer, Best Defender, and Most Valuable Player will also be presented, and participation medals will be awarded to the top three teams.
The event begins at 2pm with an exhibition match between the Hunts Bay Police and GraceKennedy, followed by the third-place playoff between Legacy and Legend at 2:40pm.
The culminating match for the championship title kicks off at 3:30pm between Medley Mixers and Friends for Real.
The competition, now in its ninth year, continues to make a significant impact by fostering peace and unity in the Waterhouse and surrounding communities. With strong support from the Hunts Bay Police, the tournament has helped to create a safe and respectful environment for players, spectators, and supporters.
“For us, this tournament is about building bridges within the community. It gives people a chance to come together in a positive way, promoting unity and creating stronger bonds. The Hunts Bay Police Station is proud to support something that has such a meaningful impact, and we are looking forward to enjoying the finals on Sunday with everyone,” shared Superintendent Damion Manderson.
This year’s tournament has been the largest yet, with 20 teams participating in 36 games over several weeks.
The Six-A-Side competition is sponsored by NIKE, AFIMI, Grace Foods, GraceKennedy’s 876 Water and Lucozade, FESGas, Rymax Lubricants, Dollette and Ken, and Sanmerna Paper Products.
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