Girona drew one goal against Real Sociedad at Montilivi and avoided a defeat that would have left them even more strained in the fight for permanence. Stuani scored the equalizer in the second half in front of 12,519 spectators, on a night described by Míchel as "the most important match in history".
The tension of the match was marked by the contrast between the atmosphere of a major event and the club's sporting situation. The team had earned one point in Vallecas on Monday and needed to sustain that reaction to keep mathematical options of staying in the top flight.
Jon Martín put Real ahead and Stuani responded after Arnau's cross
Real Sociedad struck first with a goal from Jon Martín, who took advantage of a corner conceded by Gazzaniga. Girona had to row again in a match of maximum competitive intensity at Montilivi.
In the second half, Stuani equalized the match after a cross from Arnau. The goal allowed the team to salvage a point that keeps the fight for permanence open.
Before the match, the south end of Montilivi accompanied the event with a mosaic from Jovent Gironí which read "White and red. Immortal City". The stands responded as they did on the most important nights of the season.
Montilivi gathered 12,519 spectators in a week of blows for Gerundense sport
The draw also came in a week of tight results and painful defeats for the city's teams. On Sunday, Spar Girona was eliminated in the semifinals of the Women's League by one point.
Afterwards, on Monday, the first football team snatched a point in Vallecas. And on Tuesday, Bàsquet Girona lost the derby against Manresa after squandering a 14-point lead.
That context reinforced the importance of the match at Montilivi, which was also attended by several local sports figures. From the stands, the match was watched by Moncho Fernández's team players Pep Busquets, Maxi Fjellerup, Cameron Hildreth and Guillem Ferrando, as well as footballer Èric García.
Míchel had defined the event as "the most important match in history", a phrase that summarized the weight of the duel against Real Sociedad. The draw did not resolve the fight at the bottom, but it did leave Girona alive in the standings.
The official attendance at Montilivi was 12,519 spectators for the one-all draw that keeps Girona with mathematical options to remain in the top flight.