Real Madrid Crumble Against Girona as Lackluster Performance Hands Barcelona the Top Spot

Real Madrid's domestic struggles persisted on Sunday night, as Xabi Alonso's squad could only manage a single point in a frustrating 1–1 stalemate against Girona.

A converted spot-kick from Kylian Mbappé represented the sole strike Los Blancos could muster against their bottom-dwelling opponents at the Estadi Montilivi. Despite launching 25 attempts toward Girona keeper Paulo Gazzaniga, merely four found the target in yet another lackluster display from Real Madrid.

The Madrid powerhouse has now gone winless in their previous three La Liga fixtures, managing just one triumph in their last five outings across all tournaments. What had been a five-point advantage at the summit has now seen Los Blancos slip to runner-up position, with Barcelona holding a one-point lead over their arch-nemeses.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Girona (4-2-3-1)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—7.1: Rescued his team on multiple occasions from total humiliation.

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold—7.4: Delivered exceptional crosses once more that desperately needed a genuine striker in the penalty area.

CB: Éder Militão—7.6: Made a greater contribution in the attacking third than most of Real Madrid's forwards. Militão also appeared seamless in his defensive return.

CB: Antonio Rüdiger—7.6: Impressive in his comeback from injury. Rüdiger neutralized Vladyslav Vanat effortlessly.

LB: Fran García—6.8: Delivered cross after cross from the left wing that frequently found a Girona defender rather than a teammate in white.

DM: Federico Valverde—6.6: Nearly anonymous, even when given the opportunity to operate in a more forward position during the second period.

DM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—7.3: Unusually sloppy in possession. The French midfielder was easily stripped of the ball and made several errors that could have cost his team dearly.

RW: Arda Güler—6.4: Substituted at the break following a messy opening 45 minutes where he couldn't assist his team's attack in breaking down Girona's organized defense.

AM: Jude Bellingham—8.0: Appeared much more effective after Güler's departure. Bellingham was his team's most threatening player aside from Mbappé.

LW: Vinicius Junior—7.8: Brought Real Madrid level in the match, but his scoring drought is becoming concerning. Vinicius Jr has failed to score in his previous eight appearances.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—8.3: Abandoned by his colleagues. Mbappé netted the away side's lone goal and generated the most scoring opportunities of the evening.

Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Sergio Mestre (GK), Ferland Mendy, Dani Ceballos, Brahim Díaz, Endrick, Franco Mastantuono

Girona (4-2-3-1)

Starting XI: Paulo Gazzaniga; Hugo Rincón, Arnau Martínez, Vitor Reis, Àlex Moreno; Iván Martín, Axel Witsel; Viktor Tsygankov, Azzedine Ounahi, Bryan Gil; Vladyslav Vanat

Subs used: Joel Roca, Yáser Asprilla, Alejandro Francés, Lass Kourouma, Abel Ruiz

Player of the Match: Kylian Mbappé

Girona 1–1 Real Madrid—How It Unfolded at the Estadi Montilivi

For the fifth consecutive fixture, Real Madrid began proceedings on the road, this time in Girona hoping to return to victorious form in La Liga. Raúl Asencio was absent from the traveling party due to sickness, but Alonso welcomed back Éder Militão, Antonio Rüdiger and Franco Mastantuono from their respective injuries.

It was hardly shocking that Los Blancos established early control at the Estadi Montilivi, forcing bottom-placed Girona into a defensive chase. Despite a few tentative long-distance efforts from Vinicius Junior and Aurélien Tchouaméni, the Spanish champions struggled to convert their dominance into clear-cut opportunities.

Real Madrid's attacking deficiencies spread to their midfield and backline, with Tchouaméni and Trent Alexander-Arnold making costly mistakes in their own territory that almost handed Girona two goals approaching the thirty-minute mark.

The away team believed they had broken the deadlock through Mbappé in the 40th minute, but a VAR examination ruled that the Frenchman's arm contacted the ball before he buried it in the net. Merely five minutes afterward, Azzedine Ounahi capped off a swift Girona breakaway with a superb curled finish that left Thibaut Courtois helpless.

Similar to their previous two league encounters, Alonso's team retreated to the dressing room goalless. Real Madrid's creative struggles continued into the second period, again resembling a side devoid of ideas against a compact defensive setup.

Disappointment mounted for the visitors when Vinicius Junior's leveler in the 61st minute was ruled out for offside. The Brazilian quickly returned to prominence for Los Blancos, however, with a devastating surge into the penalty area that prompted a reckless tackle from Hugo Rincón.

The official instantly awarded a penalty and Mbappé coolly slotted home from twelve yards to level the score at 1–1. The France striker has now found the net 14 times in an equal number of La Liga matches this campaign.

Real Madrid enjoyed a series of chances to secure victory, including a prime opportunity in the dying moments that fell to Mbappé, who curled his effort narrowly wide. The miss left Alonso on his knees at the sideline just as the final whistle blew.

Girona vs. Real Madrid Halftime Stats

Girona vs. Real Madrid Full Time Stats