Ounahi's Cameo Has Girona Rubbing Their Hands Ahead of the Run-In
Azzedine Ounahi came off the bench against Alavés and looked electric. Girona are 6 points clear of the drop and daring to dream.
Girona are in a proper purple patch right now — and a ten-minute cameo from Azzedine Ounahi against Alavés has got the Montilivi faithful absolutely buzzing about what’s to come.
The Big Picture First
Before we get into the Ounahi stuff, let’s just clock where Girona actually are right now. Míchel Sánchez’s side have hit 30 points and sit six clear of the relegation places. A few weeks ago this lot were deep in the muck. Now they’re looking up rather than down, and the performances have matched the results. That’s a proper turnaround.
The 2-2 draw at Mendizorroza wasn’t perfect — conceding a late equaliser never is — but the travelling Girona contingent came away feeling pretty good about themselves. And the reason why is largely down to one man.
Ounahi Off the Bench — and He Was Filthy
The Moroccan international has been eased back in gently, and against Alavés he showed exactly why Girona need him firing on all cylinders for the business end of the season. In roughly ten minutes, he:
- Created a goal — spotting Tsygankov’s run and threading a pass that only he seemed to see, setting up the 1-2
- Pulled off a ridiculous first touch in a dangerous area almost immediately after coming on
- Forced a top save from Sivera with a curling, hip-driven effort that had goal written all over it
That’s a ten-minute shift that most players couldn’t manage in ninety. Proper plates of meat stuff — he was on his toes and ready to go the moment he stepped on the pitch.
The Selection Logic
Míchel kept faith with the same XI that did well against Barça at Montilivi, which makes sense — if it ain’t broke and all that. A few things worth noting on the team shape:
- Arnau Martínez continues at left back to cover for the absent Álex Moreno
- Hugo Rincón is getting a run of starts on the right, with Francés his main competition
- Fran Beltrán got the nod in midfield alongside Iván Martín over Witsel, partly because the Belgian hasn’t been training fully all week due to a foot issue — the same problem that forced him off against Sevilla and kept him on the bench for the Barça game
The Lemar vs Ounahi Debate
Here’s where it gets interesting. Ounahi wasn’t going to walk straight into the XI ahead of Thomas Lemar, who has been one of Girona’s standout performers lately and has scored in back-to-back games. That’s fair enough.
But after what Ounahi produced in those ten minutes? The conversation has well and truly started. Míchel is going to have a very welcome selection headache on his hands as the season reaches its decisive stretch — and for a side that’s been through the wringer this campaign, that’s exactly the kind of problem you want.
Girona are climbing. And if Ounahi hits his stride, they could be a real handful between now and May.