Victory over Villarreal would breathe life into Girona's campaign, says Michel
Michel believes Girona will inject some life back into their faltering campaign by picking up a win against Villarreal in Sunday's LaLiga fixture.
Girona were dealt another blow in the Champions League in midweek, as they lost 1-0 to Austrian side Sturm Graz on Wednesday.
They are the first Spanish team in Champions League history to lose four of their opening five matches in the competition.
Girona are eighth in LaLiga heading into their meeting with fourth-placed Villarreal, having won their last three matches in Spain's top flight, while scoring four goals in two of them.
"Despite the hard blow in the Champions League, now we have to bounce back and continue with the dynamic we had in LaLiga," Michel told reporters on Saturday.
"If we win tomorrow the team will get some oxygen back.
"Villarreal are in a great moment. And to be as high up as possible we have to win games like tomorrow's match," Michel added.
"If we win we can look at the top. But it's a very difficult game. Villarreal in defence are always in balance to make a quick attack. In two or three passes they can have a chance to score."
Michel said striker Viktor Tsygankov, who has struggled with a hamstring injury since early October, is a doubt for the match along with Yaser Asprilla.
"We have concerns regarding Tsygankov and Asprilla, as both finished the previous match with discomfort," Michel added.
"Tsygankov is experiencing an ankle issue, while Asprilla has a strain in his adductor muscle. We'll see how they feel tomorrow."
Villarreal have won six of their last seven meetings with Girona (L1) in all competitions, as many victories as in their previous 12 clashes (W6 L6).
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Historic redemption: Dethroned Manning Cup champs Mona High secure Walker Cup triumph
Dethroned Manning Cup champions Mona High found solace and silverware on Friday, as they secured their first-ever ISSA/Digicel Walker Cup crown with a commanding 4-1 victory over Excelsior High in what turned out to be a lopsided final at the National Stadium.
The triumph, highlighted by Kshaine Gordon’s brace (52nd, 76th) and goals from Carlton Brown (34th) and Marlon Cunningham (55th), provided a fitting end to Mona’s campaign.
Technical Director Craig Butler, who announced his departure from schoolboy football, celebrated the victory as a testament to his team's resilience after their Manning Cup disappointment.
“I think it (time in schoolboy football) has been great; I think it is good for development, not just for Mona but the entire school system, as we sought more development versus recruiting for professionalism in the programme. So I am just proud and happy that I could have shared the time with Mona and that we have a team that is going to continue to develop good young footballers,” Butler said.
For Excelsior, who got their consolation from Damarley Williams (12th), the defeat marked another painful chapter in their Walker Cup history, extending their title drought, which dates back to 2008. Despite their energetic start, they faltered under pressure and failed to maintain their intensity or take advantage of critical moments.
Head coach Keon Broderick acknowledged that much.
“Defensive errors cost us dearly; when you make mistakes against a team with the quality in the attacking third like this Mona team, they will come back to haunt you,” Broderick said post-game.
After a lively start in which they displayed their attacking intent, Excelsior eventually opened the scoring when Williams unleashed a powerful right-footed shot from outside the 18-yard box that slipped past Mona’s goalkeeper, Riquelme Edwards.
The Mountain View-based team maintained their attacking momentum, with Kimarly Scott and Shadeko Wizzard creating opportunities, but they squandered critical chances, failing to capitalize on Mona’s defensive lapses.
In the 25th, Kimarly Scott should have doubled Excelsior’s lead when he got behind defenders, but fired a rushed effort over the crossbar. Seconds later, Scott again got into a decent position from Shadeko Wizzard’s delightful pass, but somehow again fired over the crossbar.
Excelsior were later punished for their missed opportunities as they watched Mona seize control of the match during a passage of sustained pressure. Mona found the equalizer when Kshaine Gordon outwitted his marker to set up Brown, who calmly finished from inside the box.
Excelsior had another chance to reclaim the lead on the stroke of half-time, but Wizzard’s shot from a promising position sailed wide, leaving the teams locked at 1-1 at the break.
The second half belonged entirely to Mona, as Gordon’s relentless energy paid off seven minutes into the resumption when he pounced on a loose ball to fire home from close range to put his team 2-1 up.
Three minutes later, Cunningham extended the advantage as he rose above Excelsior’s defenders to head home a perfectly weighted corner from Denzel McKenzie.
Mona’s attacking intent continued as Gordon returned to haunt Excelsior in the 76th minute, converting a through ball from McKenzie with a low drive that slipped under goalkeeper Jamari Gordon to cap the win.