On the opening day of the new La Liga season, Girona earned a 1-1 draw at Real Betis on Thursday. Last season's surprise team, Girona, finished third but faced a significant challenge with the departure of key players such as Savinho, Artem Dovbyk, and Aleix Garcia during the summer. Manager Michel Sanchez is tasked with rebuilding the squad ahead of their debut in the Champions League.
Betis took an early lead when Marc Bartra scored with a header from Nabil Fekir's corner in the sixth minute. Girona's new signing, Abel Ruiz, struck the post in the 60th minute, and Betis' goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga made a crucial save to deny Aitor Ruibal. Girona equalized through a combination of two substitutes, with Iker Almena assisting Dutch newcomer Gabriel Misehouy, who joined from Ajax this summer.
In the closing stages, Betis' Chimy Avila hit the post with a powerful shot as both teams pushed for a winner in an end-to-end encounter.
Earlier, Athletic Bilbao and Getafe also ended in a 1-1 draw. Athletic's Oihan Sancet opened the scoring with a long-range effort in the 27th minute at San Mames. Getafe had several opportunities to equalize, including a shot from Peter Gonzalez that hit the post and a one-on-one chance for Carles Alena that was saved by Athletic goalkeeper Alex Padilla.
Getafe's Chrisantus Uche, making his debut for the club, equalized with a header from a corner. Athletic manager Ernesto Valverde introduced winger Nico Williams, who played a key role in Spain's Euro 2024 victory, but the team could not find a winning goal.
Looking ahead, champions Real Madrid will begin their season on Sunday at Real Mallorca, with French superstar Kylian Mbappe set to make his La Liga debut. Barcelona will face Valencia on Saturday in the competitive debut of their new coach, Hansi Flick.
