Athletic Club Vs Girona Player Ratings: Azzedine Ounahi 8.5/10 Rated as Honours Even in a Tense 1-1 Draw

Athletic Club and Girona share the spoils in a hard-fought 1-1 draw in a pulsating La Liga encounter at San Mamés Stadium. This was a game of two distinct halves. The visitors started brightly and deservedly took the lead. Azzedine Ounahi was the man to break the deadlock with a superb finish inside ten minutes.

We noticed Girona looked comfortable for large spells of the first half. They controlled the tempo and created better opportunities. However, Athletic Club came out on a different side after the break. They played with a renewed sense of urgency and intensity.

Their pressure paid off almost immediately. Mikel Jauregizar leveled the score with a brilliant strike from distance. The rest of the match was a tense, back-and-forth affair. Both teams had chances to win it, but ultimately, a draw felt like a fair result on the balance of play. Here are the Athletic Club vs Girona player ratings.

Girona Player Ratings vs Athletic Club

Here are the Girona player ratings vs Athletic Club.

Goalkeeper

Paulo Gazzaniga - 7.0: A solid performance from the keeper. He couldn't do anything about the superb long-range strike for the goal. Made a fantastic save to deny Aitor Paredes' header in the second half. His distribution was a bit mixed, with only 40% pass accuracy, but his two crucial saves inside the box kept his team in it.

Defenders

Hugo Rincón - 6.5: A decent outing for the defender before being substituted. He was involved in the build-up and provided a key pass. However, he was caught offside and beaten on the dribble once. He battled hard, winning a few duels, but looked a bit stretched at times against Athletic's second-half onslaught.

Alejandro Francés - 7.5: What stood out to us was his defensive solidity. He made a massive nine clearances and a crucial last-man tackle. He even forced a good save from the opposition keeper with a shot from distance. A commanding and reliable presence at the back for Girona.

Daley Blind - 6.5: A typical Daley Blind performance, calm and composed on the ball with 89% pass accuracy. Made eight clearances, showing his good reading of the game. However, he struggled in the air, losing all three of his aerial duels. A steady if unspectacular evening for the veteran.

Álex Moreno - 6.5: He was tidy in possession and contributed defensively with three clearances and two interceptions. He tried to get forward but his final ball was lacking. A quiet but diligent performance, doing his defensive duties without offering a huge threat in attack.

Midfielders

Donny van de Beek - 6.0: It was a real shame to see his night cut short by injury after just 33 minutes. He had a few nice touches and was tidy in possession. It's tough to give a proper rating given his limited time on the pitch, but he looked comfortable before he was forced off.

Azzedine Ounahi - 8.5: The highest-rated player and our man of the match in the La Liga encounter, Athletic Club vs Girona. He was simply electric. Scored a beautiful goal to open the scoring and was a constant menace with his dribbling, completing eight successful runs. Created two chances, including a big one, and worked hard defensively.

Bryan Gil - 5.5: A very mixed performance. He provided the assist for Ounahi's goal, which was a moment of quality. However, he was credited with an error leading to a goal and lost possession an alarming 13 times. He just seemed a little off the pace and was substituted in the second half.

Jhon Solís - 6.0: A busy but ultimately ineffective performance. He recovered the ball seven times and was tidy in his passing. However, he struggled to impose himself on the game going forward and committed an error that led to a shot. A willing worker but lacked a bit of quality.

Iván Martín - 6.0: The captain had a quiet game by his standards. He was neat on the ball, with 85% pass accuracy, but struggled to create anything meaningful. He got through a lot of defensive work but picked up a late yellow card for a clumsy foul. Not his most influential performance.

Forwards

Vladyslav Vanat - 6.0: A frustrating night for the striker. He missed a big chance early in the game that he really should have buried. He linked up play well at times but offered little goal threat. Worked hard but it just wasn't his night in front of goal.

Substitutes

Portu - 6.5: Came on for the injured Donny van de Beek and forced a good save just before halftime. Looked lively.

Yáser Asprilla - 6.0: Replaced Jhon Solís but didn't have a huge impact on the proceedings.

Arnau Martínez - 5.5: Brought on for Bryan Gil and immediately gave away a couple of fouls.

Cristhian Stuani - N/A: Came on too late to influence the game.

Lancinet Kourouma - N/A: Introduced late on with little time to make a mark.

Manager

M. Sánchez Muñoz - 7.0: His team started brilliantly and executed the game plan perfectly in the first half. The injury to van de Beek was unfortunate. His side couldn't handle Athletic's renewed intensity in the second half, but his substitutions helped steady the ship to secure a valuable away point.

Athletic Club Player Ratings vs Girona

Here are the Athletic Club player ratings vs Girona.

Goalkeeper

Unai Simón - 6.5: Had very little to do with the opening goal, which was a clinical finish. Made a couple of important saves, including one from a shot inside the box. His distribution was okay, but he looked assured when called upon.

Defenders

Andoni Gorosabel - 6.0: A difficult first half for the right-back. He was dribbled past three times and struggled to contain Girona's attacks down his flank. He was substituted at halftime, which tells its own story. He was tidy on the ball but lacked defensive security.

Aitor Paredes - 7.0: A solid defensive display. From our perspective, he was a key reason Athletic Club stayed in the game. Missed a big chance with a header but was otherwise very reliable at the back. His passing from deep was a bit hit-and-miss.

Aymeric Laporte - 7.5: An absolute Rolls-Royce at the back. His passing was sublime, completing 104 of 107 attempts. He won all of his aerial duels and was a calming influence on the entire backline. A performance of pure class and composure.

Adama Boiro - 6.0: Similar to his fellow full-back, he was hooked at halftime. He won most of his duels but struggled to make an impact. The manager clearly felt a change was needed in both full-back areas, and it was hard to disagree.

Midfielders

Mikel Vesga - 6.0: Another player who only lasted 45 minutes. He worked hard and made three tackles but was dribbled past twice and lost possession a few times. He just couldn't get a foothold in the midfield battle against a sharp Girona side in the first half.

Oihan Sancet - 6.5: A frustrating evening for the talented midfielder. He had two shots off target and lost possession nine times. He showed flashes of his quality but couldn't consistently influence the game before being substituted.

Iñaki Williams - 6.5: The captain tried to make things happen but it wasn't his most effective game. He had three shots blocked and his final product was lacking. His pace was a threat, but Girona's defence managed him well for the most part.

Mikel Jauregizar - 8.0: What a performance. He dragged his team back into the game with a stunning goal from distance. Beyond the goal, he was immense, with 10 ball recoveries and 3 interceptions. He was the engine in Athletic's midfield, especially in the second half.

Nico Serrano - 5.5: A really poor first half. He delivered a high volume of crosses, but only 30% were accurate. Lost the ball 14 times in just 45 minutes. It was no surprise to see him taken off at the break. Was the lowest-rated player in the Athletic Club vs Girona.

Forwards

Gorka Guruzeta - 6.0: A night of 'what ifs' for the striker. He got into great positions but missed two big chances. His aerial ability was a real handful, winning four aerial duels. If his finishing had been sharper, Athletic Club might have walked away with all three points.

Substitutes

Alex Berenguer - 7.0: Made a significant impact after coming on at halftime, creating a great chance for Paredes.

Jesús Areso - 7.0: Provided much more energy and defensive stability than the man he replaced.

Yuri Berchiche - 6.5: A solid and experienced head brought on to see out the game.

Íñigo Ruíz de Galarreta - 6.5: Helped Athletic gain control of the midfield battle in the second half.

Robert Navarro - N/A: Came on late and had little time to make an impact.

Manager

E. Valverde - 7.5: What stood out to us was his decisive action at halftime. The four substitutions completely changed the momentum of the game. His team looked lost in the first half, but his tactical switches earned them a point. A brave and effective piece of management.

Sportsdunia's Player of the Match is Azzedine Ounahi