Girona vs Real Madrid: Xabi Alonso's side disappoint with 3rd straight draw

Real Madrid needed a Kylian Mbappe penalty and a brilliant Thibaut Courtois performance to avoid defeat in the 1-1 draw against Catalan side, Girona.

Los Blancos have now lost their early advantage against Barcelona in the LALIGA title race, with the result against Girona their third consecutive draw. The Blaugrana effectively enter the midweek clash against Atletico as leaders.

Real Madrid started brightly, but Girona kept them at bay and slowly grew into the game. They stunned the visitors just before half-time arrived when Azzedine Ounahi picked his spot and arrowed a long-range effort beyond Thibaut Courtois.

Real began the second half with noticeably more urgency. They had a goal ruled out for offside when Vinícius Júnior poked home, and pressure kept mounting until the 63rd minute when Vinícius was brought down inside the area by Hugo Rincón.

The referee awarded a penalty without needing the help of VAR. Kylian Mbappé converted from the spot in the 67th minute, firing low into the corner to make it 1–1. 

From there Madrid pushed relentlessly, with Mbappe, Vinicius and Federico Valverde all getting shots off. Xabi Alonso also tried to force the issue, introducing the likes of Rodrygo and Gonzalo Garcia; however, a Paulo Gazzaniga-inspired Girona ensured they failed to secure victory.