Santiago Bernabéu was once again preparing for a new league matchday in which Real Madrid were obliged to win if they were not to fall behind in the fight for the lead. This is because after three controversial consecutive setbacks, in which the Whites have lost a 7-point lead. And taking into account that both Barça and Atleti had won that matchday, Real Madrid did not consider any scenario that did not result in three points.

Opposite them was Girona, who arrived at the Real Madrid stadium after a bad run of results that also forced the Girona team to look for a victory so as not to fall too far behind in the race for a place in Europe. And for the decisive match, Ancelotti not only couldn’t count on Bellingham, but also chose to rest other key players such as Rüdiger and Valverde, with an eye on the upcoming fixtures.

Modric’s rocket shot knocks down Girona’s wall

And the match began with two teams who came out to take the three points from the first minute. Within 30 seconds, following a corner, the ball was left in the area for Arnau to look for a cross shot that forced Courtois to make a great save, and the Catalan team was about to take the lead before the 5th minute was up.

Immediately afterwards, Madrid went on the counterattack with a quick combination between Vinícius and Mbappé. The Frenchman found the Brazilian on the left wing, who started with a fast run and, after facing his marker, returned to find Mbappé with a backheel. The Frenchman went for a hard shot with his toe which, on this occasion, was saved by Gazzaniga.

After the exchange of blows between the two teams during the first few minutes, the Whites began to monopolize the ball, forcing Girona to play as a defensive unit to defend themselves against Madrid’s attacks. However, this dominance did not translate into constant danger on the Girona goalkeeper’s goal.

Shortly before the half-hour mark, the same thing happened as at the start of the game. A fantastic through ball from Blind left Van de Beek alone against Courtois, and once again the Belgian was huge in goal. On the counterattack, once again Vinícius and Mbappé caught the back of the visiting defense, setting up a two-on-one. However, after a long run by the Brazilian, Krejci arrived in extremis to prevent the ball from reaching Mbappé’s boots.

As the minutes went by, Madrid continued to advance, increasingly locking Girona in their area. A terrain in which the visiting team seemed to feel comfortable, creating a real wall that the white team seemed unable to overcome. And as the break approached, Modric found a way to undo the defensive framework with a volley from outside the area that slipped into the top corner of Gazzaniga’s goal, leaving him with no chance.

Vinícius puts the finishing touch in the final stretch

Little else happened in the first half after Modric’s late goal that gave the Whites the lead. And after a first half dominated from start to finish by Real Madrid, Girona looked to react from the very start of the second half. However, the Whites came out after the break looking to win the game, and the first chance of the half fell to Lucas Vázquez, who almost caught Gazzaniga off guard with a powerful long-range strike.

Madrid stepped on the gas and once again pinned the Catalan side back in their own half. And the Whites continued to cause a lot of damage from medium range to Girona. And if Lucas Vázquez had done it before, Vinícius tried again now with a shot from the edge of the box that came much closer, as it was repelled by the crossbar of Gazzaniga’s goal, who once again made a save.

The Bernabéu roared, cheering on their team, and now it was Mbappé who was about to double the lead, after a move in which Rodrygo set up the Frenchman, who was again denied the chance to score his first goal of the game by Krejci. Míchel tried to change the dynamic with a triple substitution that revolutionized a scheme that was not working.

However, as the minutes passed, Madrid seemed to begin to feel the fatigue of the Champions League match, conceding more and more space to a Girona side that began to grow for the first time in the match. Nevertheless, Madrid continued to threaten behind the visitors’ back line, and once again Vinícius was about to score after one of his classic runs, although the ball went high over the bar.

However, the last 10 minutes of the game were coming up and, despite the Whites’ dominance throughout the game, the result was still open. This made Girona push for the equalizer, and the umpteenth combination between Vinícius and Mbappé paid off. The Frenchman played a measured ball to Vinícius, who Vinícius shot first time with a subtle touch with his toe that Gazzaniga could do nothing about, now putting some distance between them.

A goal that, this time, ended up shattering the hopes of a Girona side that threw in the towel after the Brazilian’s goal. A goal that sealed the victory and three very important points in the fight for LaLiga, after three consecutive setbacks in the league competition. A result that keeps the Whites at the top of the table, tied with Barça, and is a fundamental result in what will be a long-distance race.

Real Madrid 2 – 0 Girona

Line-up

Real Madrid C.F.: Courtois; Lucas, Asencio, Alaba (Camavinga, 72′), Mendy; Tchouaméni, Modric (Rüdiger 85′), Brahim (Ceballos, 72′); Rodrygo, Vinicius (Endrick, 90′) and Mbappé.

Girona F.C.: Gazzaniga; Arnau Martínez, David López, Krejci, Blind, Miguel Gutiérrez (Miovski, 75′); Romeu (Solís, 66′), Van de Beek (Arthur, 56′), Iván Martín (Asprilla, 66′), Tsygankov and Danjuma (Bryan Gil, 66′).

Goals: Modric (39′), Vinícius (82′).

Referee: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández, from the Balearic Refereeing Committee. On VAR, Mario Melero López, from the Andalusian Refereeing Committee.

Incidents: Match corresponding to the twenty-fifth matchday of LaLiga EA Sports, played at the Santiago Bernabéu. (16:15h).