Córdoba beat Girona 2:1 in the Segunda División at Estadio Nuevo Arcángel on Thursday evening. The hosts took an early lead and held on despite a late Girona response. It was their first win of the campaign after two defeats.
V. Sanchez opened the scoring in the twelfth minute, then D. Bri doubled the advantage just before half-time. Girona pulled one back through Y. Asprilla in the eighty-fifth minute, but could not find an equaliser.
Substitutions came thick and fast after the break. I. Gonzalez was the first to leave the field in the forty-sixth minute, followed by V. Sanchez in the fifty-third. Córdoba brought on I. Morante and A. Ruiz together in the sixty-third minute, then swapped E. Garcia and D. Bri off in the sixty-fifth.
There were plenty of yellow cards as the game wore on. Eder Garcia picked up a booking in the fifty-fourth minute, Egoitz Muñoz in the sixty-second, and Min-su Kim in the sixty-seventh. Damián Cáceres, Enol Rodríguez, Dawda Camara, Álex Moreno, Cristhian Stuani and Lass Kourouma all joined them.
Córdoba dominated the expected goals tally at 2.07 to 0.38 despite Girona holding more possession. The visitors had fifty-five per cent of the ball but created nothing from their chances. Córdoba registered three shots on target and five off target, while Girona managed the same number on target but missed six off target.
The result lifts Córdoba off the bottom of the table, moving them to eighteenth place with three points from three games. Girona stay in tenth with four points, one more than their hosts. It is a hard-fought win that shows the hosts can compete when they take their opportunities.