Sturm Graz 1-0 Girona Player Ratings as missed chances come back to haunt the Blanquivermells in Austria

Sturm Graz takes on Girona in a Champions League encounter which is vital for both sides as they look to stay up and keep their hopes in the tournament alive. Owing to a troubling run of form for both teams there is a lot on the line for this matchup and for Girona, a win would go a long way in helping them keep their European dream going. 

Whilst Girona dominated possession for the opening half, there was a lack of clinicality with their finishing on the night. Despite good interplay and steady buildup, the Spanish outfit missed an array of chances, including an open goal sitter by Ivan Martin. The second half saw Strum Graz build on their opponent’s missed chances and venture forward to create their own which very quickly bore fruit. 

Scoring against the run of play with a brilliant counter-attack, Strum Graz did not rest on their laurels and further challenged to try and get a second goal as well. In the end, it was a historic win for the Austrian team that went above Girona in the rankings up to 29th. Whilst there is a lot of work to be done before they can secure a spot in the next phase, today’s result will go a long way in boosting their morale. 

All in all, it made for an enthralling end-to-end contest which saw Girona tempt and tease the Sturm fans as they nervously held on for the final whistle. That said, despite all their huffing and puffing, they will return home empty-handed, with a stark reminder of their current standing in the Champions League. 

Sturm Graz Player Ratings vs Girona

Goalkeeper

Daniil Khudyakov: 7/10- Did extremely well considering that it was his debut, the young goalkeeper did not let the occasion get to him and played his own game. Was slightly shaky and out of place at times but by the end, he had gotten quite confident with his claims and made significant improvement on his distribution which was all over the place at times. 

Defenders

Jusuf Gazibegović: 7/10- Did well to deal with the opposition wingers, marshaling his side well and then getting further up the pitch to deliver some good crosses into the box. Should have come away with an assist, but his work rate and energy were commendable regardless.

Emanuel Aiwu: 7/10- Had a solid shift in the heart of defense, which saw him play quite clean and impose his strength well. Was key in repelling Girona’s late scramble to grab a goal and had a good performance all things considered.

Niklas Geyrhofer: 7/10- Busy in defence and getting stuck in whenever needed. Showed great awareness at times and did not commit himself too hastily. Despite getting outdone once, kept his composure and did well to see out the final moments of the game.

Dimitri Lavalėe: 6.5/10- Had to contend with a lot of the best that Girona’s attack had to offer and struggled massively at times, getting spun by a number of different players. Despite this, he was diligent in his duties and kept his cool, intervening when needed and getting the ball clear as soon as possible.

Midfielders

William Bøving: 7/10- Got a taste for scoring early on this week and wanted to continue that form going to this game. Certainly pushed the pace for his side and kept his teammates honest with his expectations and demands, whilst doing the same for them as well. 

Tochi Chukwuani: 7.5/10- Had a busy day in midfield and guarded the backline well. Was crucial in helping keep their lead intact and at the same time, turning defense to attack with a single switch or a long ball to an attacker. 

Malick Yalcouyé: 7/10- Played like he really wanted the win today and in doing so ran himself ragged, being a nuisance on the ball. Whilst many would have liked him to play the ball earlier on occasions, his ability to draw fouls and keep the game how his team wanted was a massive help on the night. 

Otar Kiteishvili: 6.5/10- Struggled at times to find his place on the pitch, often getting conflicted on whether to attack or defend. Was much more comfortable in the second half, keeping in shape with the backline only occasionally drifting out to make a tackle. 

Attackers

Mika Biereth: 7.5/10- Did a lot of the hard running for his team, sometimes to no avail. However, his persistence and awareness is what yielded him the difference maker on the night and quite possibly sealed his name in the club’s history books already.

Seedy Jatta: 7/10- Energetic and direct with his movement. Showed a real intensity and will to try and impact the game and ultimately did so with his role in the difference maker. Might not have been the most involved in the build-up, but came alive in the final phases of the attacks.

Substitutes

Tomi Horvat: N/A

Erencan Yardımcı: N/A

Jon Gorenc Stankovic: N/A

Stefan Hierländer: N/A

Manager

Jurgen Saumel: 8/10- Did quite well considering that it was his European debut. Set up his side slightly differently and more reserved which ultimately worked out in his favor and sealed a historic victory for his club. Will be looking to build on this in future games and try to clinch a spot into the next phase of the Champions League.

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Girona Player Ratings vs Sturm Graz

Goalkeeper

Paulo Gazzaniga: 7/10- Made a few good saves from close range and was mostly up to the task the entire game. Was slightly unlucky with the goal and he was not able to get back to his feet in time for the rebound. Showed great courage in venturing forward multiple times in the closing stages, despite the risks.

Defenders

Alejandro Francés: 6.5/10- Slightly careless in giving the ball away a few times but did well to cover the ground and support his teammates up and down the flank. Showed good energy on both sides of the half and did adequately on either side as well. 

Juanpe: 7/10- Mostly solid but lacked the inventiveness to push his team on at times. Might have been outdone once all game but did well on most occasions defensively. 

Ladislav Krejčí: 7/10- Similar story to his fellow center-back partner, but showed a little more with his passing and with the ball at his feet. Did get busy defensively and even got involved on the other end of the pitch. Could have benefitted from better deliveries though.

Daley Blind: 6.5/10- Nothing exceptional out of the Dutch player on the night, who seemed as though he was running out of ideas at times. Was involved more offensively than defensively but could not manage to create anything substantial for his side on the night. 

Midfielders

Oriol Romeu: 7/10- Had a strong presence in the heart of Girona’s midfield and did well to keep his side ticking. May not have been the quickest or most agile to snuff out danger but did position himself well to cut out a few passes here and there. 

Miguel Gutiérrez: 6.5/10- Mostly present off the left side of the defense, could not manage to really impact the game with any of his crosses or long balls, which more often than not did not find the intended target. 

Iván Martín: 6/10- Missed an absolute sitter and perhaps the best chance of the entire game. Owing to the nature of the miss, it will likely overshadow any good that he tried to do all game. Yes, it was that bad. 

Attackers

Viktor Tsygankov: 6.5/10- Ran the channels well and popped up in different places as the game went on. Lacked a certain incisiveness on the night and his side could have really benefitted from it. 

Bojan Miovski: 5.5/10- Anonymous, for the most part, could have done well to show up and link the play or get in behind to try and nod in a cross. Had very minimal impact during his time on the pitch and his replacements certainly made that felt.

Bryan Gil: 7/5/10- Creative spark and the source of all that was good from Girona on the night. Took the game upon himself at times and was unlucky not to have gotten something out of it. Created chances and took some himself but ultimately needed some good fortune to help him out tonight.

Substitutes

Yáser Asprilla: 7/5/10- Showed real presence and activity after coming on and really tried to get his team back into the game. Could have benefitted from a little more confidence to take his man on as he was more resigned to crossing the ball in at times. Still, looked as though he could have made the difference for his side on the night.

Cristhian Stuani: 5.5/10- Missed a couple of big, big chances which whilst not as bad as the Martin miss, could easily have changed the trajectory of the game and possibly have ended in their favor as well. 

Arnaut Danjuma: 6.5/10- Ran his channel well but ultimately could not deliver anything of note. Failed to get through his man or cause any real trouble down the right-hand side. For all his effort, had minimal impact and should have done better. 

Jhon Solís: N/A

Abel Ruíz: N/A

Manager

Michel: 7/10- Could not believe how his side did not manage to get something from the game. Should have picked a stronger starting side as it would have allowed them to try and influence the game earlier instead of trying to chase an equalizer in a race against the clock. 

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