New Delhi: Real Madrid defeated Girona 2-0 on Sunday thanks to a spectacular long-range strike from Luka Modric, bringing them back to level with Barcelona at the top of La Liga. Carlo Ancelotti’s team put up a strong show at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Vinicius Junior sealing the victory in the closing minutes. The champions were under pressure in the very competitive title battle after table toppers Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, who are currently in third place, both triumphed on Saturday.
Despite failing to win their last three league games, Madrid showed off their might by crushing Man City in the Champions League midweek. Jude Bellingham, who was suspended following his red card last weekend, was not available for Madrid. Although they were difficult for Madrid to beat, previous year’s unexpected title candidates Girona, were much less dangerous offensively than when they were playing at their best.
Instead of searching for his French striking partner, Vinicius allowed a wonderful attacking opportunity to break down, and Paulo Gazzaniga made a great stop against Kylian Mbappe. Viktor Tsygankov of Girona could have scored for the visitors, but he missed his effort after blazing an excellent opportunity over the bar. Modric gave Madrid the lead with a long-range rocket as the game was teetering near halftime. After a corner was cleared into his path, the 39-year-old midfielder gained possession of the ball and struck a spectacular goal past the defenseless Gazzaniga.
FT: 2-0 #RealMadridGirona
🌟 @lukamodric10 strikes WORLDIE in @realmadriden victory!#LALIGAEASPORTS pic.twitter.com/2G5W0i8PqD
— LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) February 23, 2025
Girona just couldn’t threaten the champions
In the second half, Madrid had further opportunities to increase their lead, but Vinicius’ curling attempt from the edge of the box went over the crossbar. After Mbappe, skillfully controlled a dropping ball, Gazzaniga produced a fantastic save to stop him. Vinicius eventually scored the second goal after Mbappe provided him with a perfectly-weighted pass that the Brazilian pushed past the Girona goalkeeper.
In recent weeks, Real Madrid and Spanish authorities have been at odds, but on a calm afternoon in the Spanish capital, they had little to complain about save for one incident in which the referee obstructed Rodrygo’s way. Before the game, players stood with the message “respect the referee, respect football” while some home fans whistled.
After suffering a serious knee injury, David Alaba made his Los Blancos debut for the first time in more than a year. On Wednesday, Real Madrid will travel to play Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey semifinals. The 12th-place Girona team will undoubtedly have difficulty facing the European champions, according to coach Michel Sanchez.
The Spanish champions Real Madrid managed to win comfortably against Girona, which was inspired by a wonderful strike by the legendary midfielder, Luka Modric. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
