La Liga Opening Day: Girona Draw at Betis, Athletic Bilbao Held
On the opening day of the new La Liga season, Girona managed a 1-1 draw at Real Betis in an engaging match on Thursday.
Last season's surprise team, Girona, finished third but faced significant changes over the summer with departures including Savinho, Artem Dovbyk, and Aleix Garcia. Manager Michel Sanchez was tasked with rebuilding ahead of their debut in the Champions League.
Betis took the lead early when Marc Bartra scored a header from Nabil Fekir's corner just six minutes into the match.
Girona's new signing, Abel Ruiz, hit the post in the 60th minute, and Betis' Paulo Gazzaniga made a crucial save from Aitor Ruibal in a dynamic game at the Benito Villamarin stadium.
The equalizer for Girona came from a combination of substitutes: Iker Almena assisted Dutch player Gabriel Misehouy, who completed the play with a finish.
In a tense finale, Betis' Chimy Avila hit the post, and both teams had chances to secure a win.
Girona, now in their fifth top-flight season, demonstrated signs of the exciting attacking play that characterized their previous campaign, despite the squad changes.
In an earlier match, Athletic Bilbao and Getafe also ended in a 1-1 draw. Athletic Bilbao's Oihan Sancet scored from distance in the 27th minute to put his team ahead at San Mames.
Getafe had several opportunities to equalize after halftime, with Peter Gonzalez hitting the post and Athletic goalkeeper Alex Padilla making a key save against Carles Alena.
Getafe's Nigeria midfielder Chrisantus Uche equalized on his debut with a header from a corner.
Athletic's manager Ernesto Valverde introduced winger Nico Williams, but despite his Euro 2024 success with Spain, the team could not find a second goal.
Looking ahead, champions Real Madrid will begin their season on Sunday against Real Mallorca, with French star Kylian Mbappe expected to make his La Liga debut. Barcelona, managed by new coach Hansi Flick, faces a challenging away fixture at Valencia on Saturday.
