Athletic Club lose to Girona in another blow to slim hopes of European qualification

[p]Michel’s side were managing to tread water on the periphery of a relegation battle, and hosted an [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ath-bilbao/IP5zl0cJ/"]Athletic[/a] team still harbouring hopes of finishing in the European places, despite a disappointing campaign to date.[/p][p][b]Those feelings of frustration for the visitors quickly rose to the surface here when one of their own scored against them with just four minutes on the clock. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rincon-lumbreras-hugo/rBfMulYr/"]Hugo Rincon[/a] - on loan at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/girona/nNNpcUSL/"]Girona[/a] from Athletic - fired the hosts in front with a superb angled finish at the end of a sweeping move from left to right. It highlighted Los Leones’ familiar defensive problems, having now failed to keep a clean sheet for a 13th consecutive league game.[/b][/p][embed guid="f560ed1d-8f34-45cf-8421-d4c8d93bbb96" url="https://x.com/LaLigaEN/status/2032816523815895442" social-type="twitter" /][p]The remainder of the first half was being played at a good pace, and Girona had a penalty appeal turned down when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/blind-daley/U5mPqlh6/"]Daley Blind[/a] went tumbling down inside the box after tangling with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/espinoza-andoni/KEaIS3qg/"]Andoni Gorosabel[/a].[/p][p]Athletic were lacking the cutting edge to significantly trouble [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gazzaniga-paulo/jB3F3wGi/"]Paulo Gazzaniga[/a] down the other end of the pitch, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/williams-inaki/W4HzaGVn/"]Inaki Williams[/a] – making a landmark 500th appearance for Athletic – sent a tame header from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/berchiche-yuri/OCA7UnaC/"]Yuri Berchiche[/a]’s cross harmlessly wide.[/p][p]The Blanquivermells could have doubled their advantage before half-time, but [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/simon-unai/Ao9Vw3hi/"]Unai Simon[/a] made a fine save at the near post to parry [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vanat-vladyslav/2ZYrixTK/"]Vladyslav Vanat[/a]’s shot to safety.[/p][p]Athletic spurned a golden opportunity to restore parity shortly after the restart when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guruzeta-gorka/bTKd7PI5/"]Gorka Guruzeta[/a]’s close-range strike was saved by Gazzaniga’s outstretched leg, shortly before the Argentine shot-stopper denied [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/laporte-aymeric/SYnaB65s/"]Aymeric Laporte[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jauregizar-mikel/hOdEyz15/"]Mikel Jauregizar[/a] in quick succession.[/p][p]Ernesto Valverde’s side were really upping the ante, as Gazzaniga parried Guruzeta’s header over the bar, preserving an increasingly precarious-looking lead for the hosts.[/p][p][b]As such, there was a palpable sense of relief inside the Estadi Montilivi when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ounahi-azzedine/reDF5hxm/"]Azzedine Ounahi[/a] doubled Girona’s lead in the 78th minute. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/echeverri-claudio/CKeKSetG/"]Claudio Echeverri[/a] played a telling role, as his overhead kick fell into the path of the Moroccan to convert a clinical first-time finish past Simon, leaving Athletic to rue their wastefulness.[/b][/p][embed guid="29a71b29-df9a-4139-ac7f-633358df8ddf" url="https://x.com/LaLiga/status/2032830569629753522" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]There was still time for the Manchester City loanee to add a third, taking Tsyhankov’s pass into his side and scoring his first goal for the Catalans in stoppage time. [/b][/p][p]This crucial win propels the Blanquivermells nine points clear of the bottom three, and a top-half finish is now well within the realms of possibility. Meanwhile, this defeat for Athletic leaves Valverde’s men languishing in mid-table mediocrity, with their hopes of European qualification in jeopardy.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gazzaniga-paulo/jB3F3wGi/"]Paulo Gazzaniga[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/girona/nNNpcUSL/"]Girona[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/ath-bilbao-IP5zl0cJ/girona-nNNpcUSL/summary/stats/?mid=lbf6gxD6"]Catch up on the match stats here.[/a][/b][/p][image alt="Xg chart" id="e16aae42-1e91-4c01-b6d5-a0ab604618f6" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="7d03f55c-3aa3-4632-9d37-b3654856a531" original-width="1291" original-height="575" /]