Real Madrids Championship Dreams Hampered by Third Successive Stalemate Against Girona
Real Madrid managed only a third successive La Liga stalemate in a 1-1 encounter away to Girona on Sunday, which enabled Barcelona to hold onto their leading position.
The home side took an unexpected lead just before the interval courtesy of Azzedine Ounahi, but Kylian Mbappe levelled matters for the visitors from the penalty spot.
Following Barcelonas triumph over Alaves the previous day, which propelled them to the summit, Madrid required a win at Girona to regain first place, yet they now occupy second spot, trailing the title holders by a single point.
In an earlier fixture, Alberto Moleiros injury time strike propelled third placed Villarreal ahead of fourth ranked Atletico Madrid thanks to a 3-2 success against Real Sociedad.
This latest draw for Real Madrid heightens scrutiny on manager Xabi Alonso, amid recent speculation about the precariousness of his role at the club.
"We remain in contention, everything is tightly poised, it is a lengthy campaign and we must press on," Alonso remarked to the press.
"I appreciated the teams response. It fell short of overturning the deficit but we came near, and we need to sustain our cohesion, maintain healthy self reflection, and strive for victories on foreign pitches."
Madrid will journey to Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday for their fourth league outing in a row away from home, a fixture rescheduled due to their involvement in the Spanish Super Cup back in January.
"The standings will be fiercely contested, with plenty of shifts," Alonso continued.
Mbappe and Arda Guler missed the target for Madrid in the opening exchanges of a fiercely battled yet untidy affair, played before an enthusiastic local audience.
The French ace Mbappe saw a strike disallowed for handball shortly before the Moroccan Ounahi put Girona in front, smashing the ball in from the edge of the box to shock their prestigious opponents.
Girona, the Catalan underdogs sitting 18th, have defeated Real Madrid twice at Montilivi since entering the elite division in 2017, and briefly it seemed they might repeat the feat.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois produced a magnificent stop to divert Vanats angled shot away from danger prior to Madrids resurgence.
After seeing an effort chalked off for offside, Vinicius was tripped inside the penalty area by Hugo Rincon.
Mbappe rifled the penalty low into the bottom left corner, beyond the reach of diving keeper Gazzaniga, for his 14th league strike this term.
"Definitely not the outcome we desired this evening, but the title race endures and stretches far," Mbappe posted on Instagram.
"It is time to alter this pattern and demonstrate our true collective strength."
Maintaining the Challenge
Villarreals creative midfielder Moleiro scored his brace after the restart in an exhilarating match in San Sebastian.
The Yellow Submarine claimed their fifth league victory on the bounce, keeping them squarely in the hunt for the Spanish crown.
Ayoze Perez opened the scoring for the away team midway through the opening period, before assisting Moleiros second goal shortly after the interval.
Real Sociedad mounted a robust comeback, with Carlos Soler finding the net on the hour.
The hosts intensified their assault and drew level late on via an exquisite free kick from Ander Barrenetxea.
Yet Moleiro delivered the decisive blow in the 95th minute, securing the points and preserving Villarreals form.
"We grabbed a touch of fortune for these three crucial points, as vital as they were challenging to secure," commented coach Marcelino.
"Accumulating 32 points from a potential 42 strikes me as an extraordinary accomplishment."
In other action, Real Betis triumphed 2-0 over Sevilla in a heated Andalusian derby that paused momentarily when supporters hurled bottles onto the turf.
The official sent the players off the pitch in the 87th minute at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, with play restarting 15 minutes on, allowing Betis to cling to fifth position.