Girona suffered a defeat from Rayo Vallecano in the opening match of La Liga

• Girona lost to Rayo Vallecano 1-3 in the opening match of La Liga
• Goalkeeper Gatzaniga made two critical mistakes that led to goals
• Tsiganov played in the main squad, but did not manage to help the team

The 2025-26 La Liga season started for Girona FC with a disappointing defeat 3-1 at home against Rayo Vallecano in the season opener. The main highlight of the match was the unfortunate performance of goalkeeper Paulo Gatzaniga, who made two critical mistakes in the first half that led to goals for the visitors.

The first goal occurred in the 18th minute, when the defender passed the ball back to Gatzaniga, but he failed to control it, allowing Jorge de Frutos to score. The second goal happened in the 43rd minute, when the goalkeeper, trying to intercept a pass to De Frutos, lost the ball, resulting in a red card for a foul.

After being sent off the field, the 18-year-old Ukrainian goalkeeper Vladislav Kravets made his debut in La Liga. Although he managed to save a penalty kick, the third goal again found its way into the Girona net.

Initially, Ukrainian midfielder Viktor Tsiganov started in the Girona squad and aimed to help the team in attack, but the only goal scored by Girona was a penalty converted by Joel Roca in the 57th minute, which was awarded after a foul.

As a result, Rayo Vallecano gained an important victory, continuing their successful streak from the previous season, when the team for the first time in two decades secured a European spot.

Tags: Sport/Football/La Liga (Spanish league)