Well, that was a tough one to watch. After a spectacular four-goal performance from Mbappé in the Champions League, you'd think Real Madrid would come into this match flying. Instead, we got a "dreadful" and "uninterested" performance that saw them drop two crucial points against a Girona side that started the day in the relegation zone. The final 1-1 score feels more like a loss, as it hands the top spot in LaLiga directly to Barcelona. It's a bitter pill to swallow.
Key Highlights
- ✓ Real Madrid stumbled to a 1-1 draw against a modest Girona, surrendering the LaLiga leadership to Barcelona.
- ✓ Kylian Mbappé scored Madrid's only goal from a penalty in the 64th minute, his 14th of the LaLiga season.
- ✓ A stunning first-half strike from Girona's Azzedine Ounahi gave the home side a well-deserved lead before the break.
- ✓ The performance was described as dreadful and uninterested, with key players like Arda Güler and Vinícius Júnior having particularly poor games.
- ✓ VAR played a crucial role, disallowing an earlier goal from Mbappé for a handball just moments before Girona scored.
A Promising Start That Fizzled Out Fast
Things actually started off pretty promisingly. Xabi Alonso went with a fairly standard lineup, bringing the central defensive partnership of Militao and Rüdiger back together—and honestly, they were probably the best players on the pitch for Madrid. In the opening minutes, the team was pressing high, Jude Bellingham was everywhere creating and winning the ball back, and even Trent Alexander-Arnold looked very active down the flank. It felt like the right attitude.
Mbappé was looking sharp, too. He nearly scored after cleverly stealing a ball near the Girona area, and Arda Güler had a shot go wide after a pass from the Frenchman. For a while, the game was played almost exclusively in Girona's half. But here's the thing about football: possession doesn't always equal danger. Despite all that control, Madrid lacked any real depth or threat when it came to breaking down Girona's low block.
Slowly but surely, the tide began to turn. Girona started to find their footing, and suddenly it was the home side creating the more dangerous chances. Chillingly accurate shots from Viktor Tsygankov and Azzedine Ounahi served as warning signs. It felt like Madrid was entering its all-too-familiar "pájara" mode—that phase where they just switch off. The confidence from the first 20 minutes was completely gone.
First-Half Drama and a Disallowed Goal
The final stretch of the first half was pure chaos. Madrid almost broke the deadlock when Mbappé delivered a perfect cross and Militao—pushing high up the pitch—forced a massive save from the Girona keeper, Gazzaniga. It was a fantastic header that deserved a goal. Just moments later, it looked like Madrid had finally found their breakthrough.
In a scramble inside the box, Mbappé managed to poke the ball into the net. The celebration was cut short, though. While Girona's players were complaining about a foul, the VAR spotted something else entirely: a handball by Kylian in the build-up. The goal was correctly overturned. As one person in the La Galerna chat put it, "Coitus interruptus." A perfect description of the feeling.
These kinds of moments tend to unravel Real Madrid, and this time was no different. The team lost its concentration, and Girona pounced. A brilliant first-time pass from Tsygankov found Ounahi in space, and the Moroccan midfielder unleashed a perfect strike into the top corner. It was a fantastic goal that highlighted Madrid’s defensive disinterest. Just like that, it was 1-0 to the hosts, and you could feel the concern heading into halftime.
A Scramble for a Point in a Messy Second Half
Xabi Alonso clearly wasn't happy. He pulled a "nefasto" Arda Güler at halftime for Eduardo Camavinga, hoping to inject some presence into the midfield. But honestly, Güler wasn't the only one having an off day; Vinícius had been just as ineffective. The change didn't immediately work, though. Madrid continued to run into a brick wall, unable to create any meaningful chances. It felt like we could have played for another year and a half without scoring.
In fact, Girona almost doubled their lead. A swift counter-attack forced Thibaut Courtois into making the save of the night, a brilliant stop that kept Madrid in the game. That scare finally seemed to wake the team up. With about 30 minutes left, they started to push. Vinícius, who had done next to nothing all game, finally made a decisive run into the box and was brought down by Hugo Rincón for a penalty. It was a clear foul.
Mbappé stepped up and coolly converted, beating a penalty specialist in Gazzaniga to make it 1-1. From there, it was all Madrid. Militao was a man possessed, winning the ball back all over the field. But the team just couldn't find the winner. Rodrygo, who came on as a substitute, had a penalty shout of his own waved away. Vinícius had a shot that grazed the post, and in a moment of frustrating selflessness, Mbappé tried to set up Rodrygo on a counter when he should have shot himself. The final chance fell to Mbappé in the 94th minute, but his shot went just wide, and with it, so did the lead in LaLiga.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, a 1-1 draw away from home isn't the end of the world, but the context makes this feel like a huge setback. This was a "penoso" (pitiful) performance where the team looked disjointed and uninspired for large stretches. With only one win in the last five league games, this is more than just a blip; it's a slump. Mbappé's penalty saved a point, but it couldn't save the performance or Madrid's spot at the top of the table. Barcelona is now the leader, and Xabi Alonso has a lot of work to do to get this team back on track.
