Girona managed a dramatic 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano in the 35th round of La Liga, keeping their hopes of avoiding relegation alive with a last-gasp equalizer. The Catalan side grabbed a vital point after trailing for much of the second half.
Rayo entered the match with high confidence following their first-ever European final appearance, and they dominated early proceedings. Fran Pérez and Sergio Camello posed constant threats, testing Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga on several occasions. The Argentine shot-stopper delivered a series of impressive saves to keep the score level at halftime.
Girona attempted to respond through Ukrainian winger Viktor Tsygankov, but his efforts lacked precision, and the first half ended goalless.
Early in the second half, Girona were awarded a penalty after a handball by Pathé Ciss, but the referee overturned the decision following a VAR review, sparking frustration among the visitors.
Rayo seemed to have sealed the victory in the 86th minute when Alesao scored from a close-range follow-up inside the box. However, veteran substitute Cristian Stuani refused to give up. In the 90th minute, he rose to meet a cross from Tsygankov and powered a header into the net, snatching a dramatic point for his team.
With this draw, Rayo missed the chance to leap into a Europa League qualification spot, while Girona moved two points clear of the relegation zone with just two matches remaining.