Girona´s Michel promises to fight on in Champions League

Michel declared Girona will fight until the end for Champions League qualification after Tuesday’s narrow defeat to Liverpool left their hopes hanging by a thread.

Mohamed Salah scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot as Liverpool maintained their perfect record in Europe under Arne Slot, triumphing 1-0 in Catalonia.

The defeat was Girona’s fifth in six Champions League matches, leaving them 30th in the 36-team table with three points, with just two games against AC Milan and Arsenal remaining.

“Qualification looks far away but so long as there’s the faintest chance we’ll keep fighting for it,” Michel told reporters.

“We are going to compete in the two matches we have left, enjoy ourselves, and look for victory in both.”

Despite the loss, Michel was satisfied with many aspects of his side’s performance.

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“We competed really well, we fulfilled my objective of filling key spaces and we tried to leave Liverpool’s central defenders without a reference man to mark so that we could then find our free man,” he said.

“We created chances, especially for Danju [Arnaut Danjuma]. We gave a good account of ourselves but we went out to win.”

Girona’s Miguel Gutierrez echoed his coach’s view.

“This is an apprenticeship. We’re playing every three days, all over Europe, and that gives you huge experience,” he said.

“But listen, we aren’t out yet, this isn’t finished. Until we can’t mathematically qualify we’ll fight.”