Struggling Real suffer title blow with Girona draw
Published on Saturday, 11 April 2026 at 2:17 pm
Real Madrid’s faltering domestic campaign suffered another jolt as a 1-1 draw with Girona at the Bernabeu left their La Liga hopes hanging by a thread. Federico Valverde’s crisp low drive six minutes after the restart had offered the champions a lifeline, yet Thomas Lemar’s explosive equaliser 11 minutes later ensured the spoils were shared and the gap to leaders Barcelona could stretch to nine points if Barca prevail in Saturday’s derby against Espanyol.
The result extends Los Blancos’ winless sequence to three matches across all competitions, following last week’s shock league loss at Mallorca and a 2-1 reverse to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. Interim coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who took the reins from Xabi Alonso in January, resisted rotation this time and fielded a star-studded XI, but neither Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr nor Jude Bellingham could break down a disciplined Girona rearguard in a subdued opening period.
The contest ignited after the interval when Valverde collected possession on the edge of the area and saw his effort squeeze under goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga. The lead lasted barely 11 minutes; Lemar cut in from the right and lashed a fierce shot beyond Andriy Lunin to silence the home crowd. Madrid pressed late on, Mbappe seeing a penalty appeal waved away, yet the decisive touch eluded them and boos echoed around the stadium at full time.
With only seven rounds remaining, Barcelona now control the title race while Madrid must quickly regroup ahead of Wednesday’s decisive Champions League trip to Bayern. Arbeloa, winless in his last three fixtures, faces mounting scrutiny as the club’s domestic and European ambitions both hang in the balance.
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Source: yahoo




