The visitors had the first big chance of the game, as Paulo Gazzaniga’s ill-advised pass to Miguel Gutierrez saw the left-back give the ball under pressure straight to Alex Berenguer, who fired wide from close range.
Berenguer then had an opportunity to make amends for that wastefulness when he won a penalty following a VAR check after going down over Arnau Martínez’s outstretched leg. However, the 29-year-old’s tame spot-kick was gathered in by Gazzaniga.
Gorka Guruzeta was next to go close for Athletic, flashing a volley off target after a lovely scooped Oihan Sancet pass.
And that miss proved costly as the clock hit 39’, when Yaser Asprilla’s floated cross went all the way in, after Gutierrez had cleverly made a run which kept him onside while distracting Alex Padilla and Athletic’s defenders.
Ernesto Valverde’s men immediately responded though, as Berenguer’s gorgeous dinked ball was controlled and turned in by Sancet, who picked up an injury in the process of equalising and was subsequently replaced by Unai Gomez.
After the break, Arnaut Danjuma was the first to fluff his lines and was soon at fault in his own box as he was adjudged to have fouled Inaki Williams, who took over penalty duties from Berenguer but incredibly also failed to convert.
However, Gazzaniga was off his line when making the save, and it was Ander Herrera who took the retake, but unbelievably, he too couldn’t find a way past the goalkeeper.
Buoyed by that passage of play, Girona hit the bar through the lively Asprilla’s deflected shot, before Dani Vivian nervously diverted Martinez’s searching cross behind and Herrera vitally blocked an effort from namesake Yangel Herrera, who then forced a brilliant reflex save from Padilla.
As this was the sixth straight head-to-head to see both sides score, there was much expectation of late drama, and in the dying moments, Girona were awarded a penalty of their own, and Stuani did what three of his opponents had failed to do earlier and just about found the net.
Though they now sit 11th after their late win, Girona’s battle to fight on two fronts gets no easier, with Real Sociedad lying in wait after the international break. Athletic meanwhile will hope to return to winning ways when they host Espanyol, though they are now three La Liga games without a clean sheet.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Yaser Asprilla (Girona)
