Sturm Graz 1-0 Girona: Biereth fires hosts to first win

Sturm Graz climbed from the bottom of the Champions League after Mika Biereth's second-half goal in a 1-0 win over Girona on Wednesday.

Sturm's Biereth broke the deadlock just before the hour mark, firing in from close range after Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga saved a shot from inside the penalty area.

Girona should have scored midway through the first half when Ivan Martin found himself unmarked in front of an unguarded net, but he somehow sent the ball over the crossbar.

That miss marked the well-known struggle for Michel's men in this competition, with last season's surprise package in LaLiga falling to 30th place in the standings.

Girona has just one win to its name in this season's Champions League, with Sturm collecting the first points of the season with this win.

Sturm Graz get their first win in the league stage #UCL pic.twitter.com/S9qODKzlVt

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 27, 2024

Data Debrief: Challenge battle for Girona

Girona have lost all three away games in the Champions League without scoring a goal, becoming the first Spanish side to ever suffer consecutive defeats in their first three away games in the competition.

Goals remain a problem for Michel's side, who have failed to score in three of their five games, with only Bologna (four) and Salzburg (four) failing to score more often in the 2024-2025 tournament.

Wednesday also marked Sturm Graz's first win against a Spanish side in Europe, before losing five of their six such games (D1).