Girona Stumbles in Home Opener Against Feyenoord

Girona faced a tough defeat in their first Champions League home match, marked by two own goals and a missed penalty. The Spanish team initially took the lead in the 19th minute with a goal from 34-year-old defender David Lopez. However, just four minutes later, they fell behind when Quinten Timber’s header deflected off Girona midfielder Yangel Herrera leveling the match at 1-1.

Feyenoord then surged ahead 2-1 in the 33rd minute, thanks to teenager Antoni Milambo. Shortly after, the Dutch side earned a penalty for a foul on Timber but Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga made a crucial save, denying Ayase Ueda’s attempt from the spot. In the second half, Girona had a goal disallowed and received a penalty after Timon Wellenreuther fouled Bojan Miovski in the box.

However, Wellenreuther redeemed himself by saving Miovski’s penalty, keeping Feyenoord ahead. Girona eventually equalized when Donny van de Beek scored, marking his first goal for the club since joining from Manchester United during the summer transfer window. Girona’s hopes of securing their first Champions League point ended when defender Ladislav Krejci turned Igor Paixao’s cross into his own net.

This mistake sealed a 3-2 victory for Feyenoord. This defeat follows Girona’s opening loss to Paris Saint-Germain, where they also conceded an own goal in the dying minutes. With three own goals this season, they matched Fenerbahce’s record for the most own goals in a single Champions League campaign and became the first team to score an own goal in their first two matches of the competition.