Both sides had been out of action for more than two weeks due to the international break, and there was perhaps an element of rustiness in a low-key first half, in which neither goalkeeper made a save.
Villarreal striker Georges Mikautadze looked likeliest to break the deadlock early on, firing a deflected effort just wide in the fourth minute before he was denied a certain goal by Vitor Reis’ excellent recovery challenge midway through the half.
Girona lost top goalscorer Vladyslav Vanat (G10) to injury after just 12 minutes, but his replacement, Abel Ruiz, pounced on Renato Veiga’s underhit 28th-minute backpass and rounded Luiz Junior, only for Veiga to slide in and stop Ruiz’s pass reaching Ivan Martin for an easy tap-in.
Reis headed just over from the resulting corner, but Girona benefitted from some good fortune in stoppage time as Navarro stuck out a leg and diverted Arnau Martinez’s cross into his own net.
It continued the hosts’ impressive first-half record in 2026, where they are yet to trail a match at the break (HT: W7, D6).
Reis produced another goal-saving intervention three minutes after the restart when he blocked Gerard Moreno’s volley at point-blank range, before Viktor Tsygankov was denied by a last-ditch tackle at the other end.
Junior then parried away Axel Witsel’s effort from inside the box as Girona hunted a second goal, and Villarreal head coach Marcelino responded with a triple substitution, bringing on Alex Freeman, Alfonso González, and Tajon Buchanan for Santiago Mourino, Alberto Moleiro, and Nicolas Pepe.
The Yellow Submarine failed to provide a grand finale, though, and while they remain 13 points clear of fifth-place Real Betis in the race for a UEFA Champions League spot, a fourth defeat in their past seven away league games will be a concern (W1, D2).
Girona climb to 12th after finally beating Villarreal in a home league fixture at the sixth attempt – the ideal preparation for Friday’s clash with Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.