Girona Put Three Past Alaves To Move Back To Laliga's Summit

With a composed double from Artem Dovbyk (26), Girona defeated Deportivo Alaves 3-0 at Estadio Municipal de Montilivi, propelling the hosts back to the top of La Liga with their 10th victory in 11 games.

Alaves were already facing a difficult task against this season's surprise title contenders, and the absence of their suspended manager Luis Garcia only added to their challenges. The first setback for the boss occurred in the middle of the first half when goalkeeper Antonio Sivera deflected Yan Couto's shot directly onto the head of Dovbyk, who confidently scored the opening goal for the second consecutive game.

Being outplayed and on the defensive, Alaves needed to be efficient when presented with opportunities. However, Samu Omorodion wasted their best chance of the half by directing a powerful header straight into the hands of Paulo Gazzaniga.

Girona capitalized on this missed opportunity and ruthlessly punished Alaves a few minutes later. Couto delivered a perfectly timed pass, which was swiftly converted by Portu, giving Michel's team a well-deserved two-goal lead at halftime.

The White and Reds didn't stop there. The exceptional performance of Couto, who played a crucial role in every goal, led the charge for a third goal. He skillfully drove into the box and drew a foul from Javi Lopez.

Dovbyk confidently stepped up and scored his 10th league goal of the season by calmly placing the ball down the middle, putting the game out of reach for Alaves. Míchel's focus then shifted towards conserving energy.

Ruben Duarte came close to scoring a stunning consolation goal for Alaves, but his long-range effort struck the crossbar, extending their goalless streak to three games. The timing couldn't be worse as they prepare to face Real Madrid on Thursday.

Girona, on the other hand, will face a tough challenge against Real Betis. However, they will be filled with confidence after another impressive performance and their first clean sheet since October.