Real Madrid Held Again as Draw at Girona Puts Title Race in Balance
Real Madrid endured another frustrating night in La Liga after being held to a 1–1 draw at Girona on Sunday, marking their third consecutive league stalemate and allowing rivals Barcelona to maintain their position at the top of the table. Despite a determined fightback and a powerful second-half performance, Los Blancos walked away with only a single point—far less than what they needed to reclaim first place.
The match began with high intensity, with both teams showcasing aggressive pressing and fast transitions. Yet it was Girona who delivered the first blow. Moroccan international Azzedine Ounahi stunned the visitors five minutes before half-time, smashing the ball home from just inside the box. The strike sent the home crowd into a frenzy and brought renewed confidence to a side that has earned a reputation for troubling the giants of Spanish football.
For Real Madrid, the early stages were marked by missed opportunities. Kylian Mbappé and Arda Güler both fired off target during a scrappy, hard-fought opening spell. Mbappé, in particular, believed he had opened the scoring minutes before Ounahi’s goal, but his effort was ruled out for handball after a VAR check. Girona capitalised almost immediately with their well-taken opener.
Real Madrid Struggle to Break Girona as Title Pressure Mounts
Girona, sitting 18th and battling to move clear of the relegation zone, have developed an unlikely habit of unsettling Real Madrid at Montilivi. Since their top-flight debut in 2017, the Catalan side have beaten Madrid twice at home, and for much of the night, it appeared they might secure another famous victory.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois kept his side alive with a brilliant save to deny a venomous strike from Vanat. The Belgian, returning to full form after injury, showed once again why he is considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
Real Madrid finally found their way back into the match in the second half. After Vinícius Júnior had a goal disallowed for offside, he was brought down in the box by Hugo Rincón in a clumsy defensive challenge. The referee pointed to the spot without hesitation.
Mbappé, cool under pressure, blasted the penalty low into the bottom-left corner, sending the keeper the wrong way. It was his 14th La Liga goal of the season, reaffirming his status as Real Madrid’s most dangerous weapon. But despite the equaliser, the momentum shift wasn’t enough to secure all three points.
Following the match, Mbappé took to Instagram to express his disappointment, writing: “Absolutely not the result we wanted tonight, but the league is still on and very long. We need to change this dynamic and show who we are as a team.”
The draw intensifies the spotlight on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, whose future in the dugout has recently come into question due to the team’s inconsistent performances. With Barcelona winning 2–1 against Alavés on Saturday to move top of the table, Madrid needed a victory in Girona to regain control of the title race.
“We are up there, it’s all very even, it’s a long season and we have to continue,” Alonso said afterwards, defending his team’s effort. “I liked the reaction from the players. It was not enough to turn it around but we were close.”
Real Madrid now face Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, their fourth straight league game away from home due to the rearrangements caused by their participation in the Spanish Super Cup in January. Alonso acknowledged that the coming weeks will be pivotal: “The table will be hard-fought, there will be lots of movement.”
While Real Madrid slipped, Villarreal delivered one of the most dramatic victories of the weekend. Alberto Moleiro scored twice—including a stoppage-time winner—in their thrilling 3–2 win over Real Sociedad. The result moved Villarreal back into third place ahead of Atlético Madrid, who continue to struggle for consistency.
Real Betis also enjoyed a significant win, defeating Sevilla 2–0 in a fiery Andalusian derby that was briefly halted after home fans threw bottles onto the pitch. The match resumed after a 15-minute suspension, with Betis securing three valuable points to stay fifth.
Source- EWN
