Missed chances and a late penalty appeal leave champions frustrated as rivals Barcelona climb to the summit.
Real Madrid’s grip on the La Liga lead slipped away on Sunday after a hard-fought 1-1 draw with a determined Girona side. The result marks a third consecutive league stalemate for the champions, who now watch rivals Barcelona move one point clear at the top.
In a tense match at Montilivi Stadium, relegation-battling Girona struck first, with Azzedine Ounahi firing the hosts ahead just before halftime. Madrid, lacking their usual sharpness, found an equalizer through Kylian Mbappé’s second-half penalty. The French star, fresh from a four-goal Champions League performance, nearly snatched a winner in stoppage time, but his close-range effort drifted agonizingly wide.
Madrid’s frustration was compounded late on when they furiously appealed for a second penalty after a challenge on Rodrygo, but their pleas were waved away.
“I liked how the team reacted, even though it wasn’t enough to get the win,” said Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso. “We improved in the second half and could’ve won coming from behind. We just couldn’t finish the chances we created.”
The draw, following Barcelona’s victory over Alavés on Saturday, tightens an already congested title race. Just three points now separate the top four—Barcelona, Real Madrid, Villarreal, and Atlético Madrid—after 14 games each.
For Girona, the point offers a vital lifeline in their fight for survival, having managed just one win in their last six outings. For Madrid, the search for a return to winning ways in the league becomes increasingly urgent as the battle for Spanish supremacy intensifies.
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