Girona have picked up seven points from nine available and climbed to 12th in the table after a convincing victory at Vallecas in the opening fixture of Week 26 in La Liga Santander.
Eusebio Sacristan's side have now kept back to back clean sheets and won consecutive away games. They were defensively resilient, technically superior and had better cohesion compared to Rayo.
Michel's team have now lost five consecutive matches and remain 19th in the table.
The home team did begin brightly in both halves but Girona were able to absorb the intensity of their play and then take control of possession, and the encounter.
Mario Suarez had headed an early chance over for Rayo before the visitors carved out a good opportunity for Portu. The 26 year old had scored twice in the 2-1 win against Rayo earlier in the season, but blazed over from Pere Pons' cut back.
A minute later Alex Granell (who, like Pons, was making his 50th start in the Spanish top flight) fired a long distance shot against the cross bar.
Girona were passing slickly, and swiftly recovering possession whenever Rayo had the ball. They took the lead on 30 minutes when Granell's dangerous corner found Cristhian Stuani in the box: after he controlled it with a suspicion of hand ball he ruthlessly fired the opening goal through the legs of Stole Dimitrievski.
Pons then hit the post from distance for Girona. Rayo mustered just one shot on target in the first half.
After half time Rayo did come out with more intensity and created three chances in the opening 14 minutes: Abdoulaye Ba headed wide, Suarez was denied by Gorka Iraizoz (playing in place of Yassine Bono who had fever) and Adri Embarba scuffed a chance from close range after excellent play by Alvaro Garcia on the left.
This was Rayo's best period of the game but a mistake by Ba put Stuani through on goal. The Senegalese defender pulled back the Uruguayan and was sent off for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Rayo were a goal down and a man down with half an hour to play.
They didn't give in and did muster shots from Gael Kakuta (on as a substitute) and Embarba. However, Girona hit them on the break with five minutes remaining. Substitute Pedro Porro's superb cross was guided home at the far post by Stuani, who had scored just two goals in 10 matches before this game, but now had a brace (his fifth of the season).
Rayo defender Emiliano Velazquez picked up a yellow card and will miss the game at Barcelona next week. All in all this was a demoralising night for Michel's side who looked short of quality and tactical nous. They have plenty of heart and spirit but are struggling to impose any control over their opponents. They have conceded 45 goals from 26 matches and have fewer points then they did at the same stage of the 2002/03 and 2015/16 campaigns when they were relegated.
Girona face Valencia next week with optimism after a strong performance that moves them eight points clear of the relegation zone.
Images from Mundo Deportivo and Marca
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