As both teams have enjoyed surprisingly fast starts to the league season, a quality game of football was on the cards. However, the first half lacked the attacking ambition to get the Mallorca faithful up off their seats. Late in the opening half the home side enjoyed a period of sustained pressure after a fizzed effort from Jaume Costa was parried behind by the keeper. The subsequent furry of corners pinned the visitors into their own half, but Los Piratas were wasteful in front of goal, and the scoreline remained level at the HT break.
It was much the same in the second period. While the play was hotly contested, threatening attacking moves were few and far between for both sides. In search of their second consecutive win, Mallorca attempted to piece together moves and pick holes in the Girona rearguard, but the visitors remained stubborn in the face of the pressure. Dramatically, the hosts found what looked to be the winner with less than five minutes remaining in regular time when Antonio Raíllo settled the ball from a corner and thrashed home to stunningly put Mallorca in the lead.
See stats from the match at Flashscore
However, the celebrations were cut short when Girona were awarded a penalty in stoppage time when Manu Vallejo was taken down in the box by José Manuel Copete, giving the visitors a chance to equalise at the death. In the face of pressure, second-half substitute Samuel Sáiz stepped up and dispatched from the spot, snatching an unlikely point for Girona.
After a three-season absence from the top-flight, Girona will be delighted to take five points from their first five games. While they have only won once in the young La Liga season, sitting mid-table with one of the weaker squads in the division will be celebrated in Catalonia.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Kang-In Lee (Mallorca)