Real Madrid CF’s struggles deepened on Saturday night as they were forced to a 1–1 draw by Girona FC at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, a result that could hand momentum in the La Liga title race to FC Barcelona, who may extend their advantage to nine points with a derby win over RCD Espanyol.
Real Madrid appeared to have taken control of the contest shortly after the interval when Federico Valverde broke the deadlock.
The Uruguayan midfielder struck a low effort from the edge of the penalty area, which slipped past Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga to give the hosts the lead.
However, the advantage lasted barely 11 minutes.
Girona restored parity through Thomas Lemar, who drove in from the right flank before unleashing a powerful finish that beat Andriy Lunin, silencing the home crowd.
Despite naming a strong starting XI, Real Madrid were unable to find a winner.
Kylian Mbappé had a strong appeal for a penalty waved away by the referee, while Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham both endured quiet evenings, struggling to impose themselves in the final third.
The draw stretches Madrid’s winless run to three matches across all competitions.
It followed a surprising league defeat to RCD Mallorca and a 2–1 setback against FC Bayern Munich in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
Head coach Álvaro Arbeloa, who reportedly took over from Xabi Alonso in January, had previously rotated his squad in the defeat to Mallorca in a bid to manage European demands, a decision that ultimately backfired.
Although he returned to a stronger lineup against Girona, the outcome remained unchanged.
With just seven matches left in the season, Barcelona now sit in a commanding position in the title race, while Real Madrid face increasing pressure to respond quickly ahead of their decisive Champions League quarter-final second leg in Germany against Bayern Munich.
Arbeloa’s position is also coming under growing scrutiny.
The recent slump, now featuring three defeats and a struggling European campaign has raised fresh doubts about his ability to steady the team during a critical phase of the season.
