JAKARTA – A thrilling encounter between Real Madrid and Girona in the 31st week of the 2025/26 La Liga season at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium concluded in a 1-1 draw early Saturday morning WIB. This result saw Los Blancos forced to share points with Girona, a setback that could significantly impact their title aspirations.
Despite Real Madrid initially taking the lead through a superb strike from Federico Valverde, the visiting side, Girona, demonstrated resilience by swiftly leveling the score courtesy of Thomas Lemar. This shared point means Real Madrid now trails arch-rivals Barcelona by six points at the summit of the temporary La Liga standings, intensifying the pressure in the title race.
The draw further extends Real Madrid’s winless streak, following recent defeats to Mallorca in La Liga and Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Meanwhile, Girona, a formidable opponent, currently holds the 12th position in the league with a respectable 38 points, according to the official La Liga website.
From the outset, Real Madrid asserted their dominance, immediately pressing Girona’s defensive lines. However, the visitors nearly stunned the Bernabeu crowd in the 14th minute when Azzedine Ounahi’s effort was thwarted by a crucial save from Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin. Madrid responded with attacking flair, creating chances through Vinicius Junior in the 19th minute, followed by a powerful long-range shot from Valverde in the 28th minute. Yet, despite the hosts’ control of possession and offensive thrust, the first half concluded goalless, with the score locked at 0-0.
The second half saw Real Madrid’s persistent pressure finally pay dividends. In the 51st minute, Federico Valverde unleashed a thunderous strike from outside the penalty box, expertly assisted by Brahim Diaz. The ball rocketed past Girona’s goalkeeper, Paulo Gazzaniga, putting Real Madrid ahead. However, their lead proved to be short-lived, lasting only 11 minutes.
Girona mounted a swift comeback, equalizing in the 62nd minute through Thomas Lemar. Receiving the ball from Arnau Martinez, Lemar executed a precise left-footed shot from outside the box that sailed past Lunin’s outstretched dive, bringing the score to 1-1. Following the equalizer, Real Madrid intensified their attacking efforts, with Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe orchestrating numerous opportunities, though none managed to find the back of the net.
In the dying minutes of the game, Real Madrid appealed for a penalty after Kylian Mbappe was fouled by Hugo Rincon. A VAR review, however, led the referee to award only a free-kick instead of a spot-kick, much to the dismay of the home side. Real Madrid continued to press relentlessly until the final whistle, but no further goals were scored, sealing the match at a 1-1 stalemate.
Team Lineups:
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Andriy Lunin; Daniel Carvajal, Raul Asencio, Eder Militao (Huijsen 64′), Fran Garcia (Mendy 79′); Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga (Tchouameni 79′), Jude Bellingham (Guler 64′); Brahim Diaz (Garcia 84′), Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior
Girona (4-3-3): Paulo Gazzaniga; Arnau Martinez, Alejandro Frances, Vitor Reis, Alex Moreno; Thomas Lemar (Rincon 70′), Axel Witsel, Ivan Martin (Beltran 84′); Viktor Tsygankov, Claudio Echeverri (Ruiz 64′, Stuani 85′), Azzedine Ounahi (Gil 70′).
Summary
Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw by