Sinking ship - Real Madrid dropped another two points and has almost fallen out of the title race

Real Madrid’s poor run continues — after a La Liga defeat to Mallorca in the previous round, followed by a loss to Bayern in the Champions League, Los Blancos have suffered another setback with a 1–1 draw against Girona. After this, only a miracle could see Real Madrid catch Barcelona in the title race.

Alvaro Arbeloa’s team started brightly and threatened as early as the 5th minute, when Kylian Mbappe made a sharp run onto Camavinga’s lofted pass. The French forward looked set to go through one-on-one, but Paulo Gazzaniga reacted quickly and got just enough of a touch to deny him.

Just five minutes later, Madrid came even closer — Brahim Diaz delivered a cross that Mbappe met with a diving effort, only for Alex Moreno to produce a heroic goal-line clearance and keep Girona level.

Girona responded well and showed their danger on the counter. In the 13th minute, Azzedine Ounahi unleashed a powerful strike toward the near post’s top corner, but Lunin pulled off an excellent save to keep the score goalless.

Madrid continued to push, and in the 27th minute Federico Valverde tried his luck with a first-time effort after a clever setup from Carvajal. Once again, Gazzaniga was equal to the task, making another important save.

Asensio then had a good opportunity in the 36th minute after a neat one-two on the edge of the box, but Tsygankov tracked back well and did just enough to disrupt the shot, sending it wide.

Girona had the final say before halftime. In the 44th minute, Echeverri cut inside past Camavinga after receiving a pass from Thomas Lemar, but his effort narrowly missed the target.

Real Madrid came out aggressively after the break and created an immediate chance in the 47th minute. Vinicius did well to win the ball near Girona’s box and set up Jude Bellingham, whose low shot was comfortably saved by Gazzaniga.

The breakthrough arrived just four minutes later. In the 51st minute, Federico Valverde continued his incredible scoring form with a stunning strike from around 25 meters. His powerful effort flew toward goal, but it was also aided by a major mistake from Gazzaniga, who let the ball slip past his hand and into the net, giving Madrid a 1-0 lead.

Los Blancos looked in control and nearly doubled their advantage in the 57th minute. Vinicius once again caused problems in the box, creating space for a shot, but this time Gazzaniga redeemed himself with a solid save.

However, Girona responded in style. In the 62nd minute, they found an equalizer through Thomas Lemar, who mirrored Valverde’s effort with a brilliant long-range strike from about 20 meters. Unlike earlier, the goalkeeper had no chance this time, and Girona made it 1-1.

As the match entered its final stages, Madrid pushed for a winner. In the 86th minute, Kylian Mbappe produced a moment of brilliance to beat his defender after a pass from Valverde, but once again Gazzaniga stood firm and denied the Frenchman.

The biggest talking point came in the 88th minute. Mbappe appeared to be struck in the face inside the penalty area in what looked like a clear foul, but the referee waved play on. After a VAR review, the decision stood. There is, however, a possibility that Mbappe had committed an offensive foul in the buildup, which may have influenced the final call.

LA LIGA ROUND 31

Friday

Real Madrid - Girona 1-1 (0-0)

/Valverde 51 - Lemar 62/

Saturday

15.00: (1.75) Sociedad (3.60) Alaves (4.90)

17.15: (2.50) Elche (3.30) Valencia (2.85)

19.30: (1.28) Barcelona (6.00) Espanyol (9.50)

22.00: (2.90) Sevilla (3.25) Atl.Madrid (2.50)

Sunday

15.00: (2.30) Osasuna (3.40) Betis (3.10)

17.15: (2.45) Mallorca (3.20) Rayo Vallecano (3.00)

19.30: (1.75) Celta (3.50) Oviedo (5.00)

22.00: (2.35) Ath.Bilbao (3.40) Villareal (3.00)

Monday

22.00: (2.75) Levante (2.95) Getafe (2.85)

***odds are subject to change***