A disjointed opening from both sides had as much to do with Girona’s ultra-defensive set-up as anything else. The first chance of note came when Real Madrid’s Arda Guler flashed a drive wide, whilst Kylian Mbappe should’ve done better shortly after when shooting over despite being gifted the ball.
As the game opened up, the hosts tried to involve Byran Gil at every opportunity, though the Spaniard was proving wasteful in possession. Vinicius Junior consistently wasted opportunities at one end, whilst Viktor Tsygankov had the game’s first shot on target at the other.
Los Blancos certainly had the lion’s share of the ball as the half wore on, but far too often weren’t accurate enough when it came to their final ball. When they did get it right, as with a towering Eder Militao header, Girona had Paulo Gazzaniga to thank for his incredible reflexes.
Mbappe thought he’d given Real the lead with a scrappy effort just before half-time, but a VAR review ensured that the goal was ruled out for a handball. And, with a few seconds left of the first half, Azzedine Ounahi smashed home a curling effort that left Thibaut Courtois rooted to the spot.
As might be expected, Real took the initiative at the start of the second half, though the hosts’ two defensive banks of four made things difficult.
Courtois’ remarkable save from Vladyslav Vanat kept the visitors in the game as the hour mark approached, and only an offside flag stopped Vinicius from equalising as Madrid started to ease through the gears.
The Brazilian then earned a penalty after being felled by Hugo Rincon, and the spot-kick was dispatched with ease by Mbappe.
Vitor Reis really should’ve done better with a free header, and as the game became a little scrappy, both Mbappe and Vinicius should have done better with presentable effort.
In the closing stages, both sides went close but weren’t able to snatch a winner. The result means that Girona have gone on to draw four of the six league games they scored first in this season (W2), although the point against superior opposition means only goal difference is still keeping them in the relegation zone.
Real, meanwhile, trail league-leaders Barcelona by just one point after 14 matchdays as another exciting title race develops.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)