Real Madrid thrashes title rivals Girona 4-0 in a crushing victory.
With 14 games remaining, the LALIGA title race may already be decided. On Saturday night, Real Madrid defeated Girona, their nearest opponents, in the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.
The host team defeated the second-ranked team in the competition 4-0, marking the most home victory by a league leader against that opponent since Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 5-0 in 1945.
This season, Girona has been LALIGA's surprise package. They entered this match just two points behind Real Madrid and had only lost once, to their rivals at Estadi Montilivi in a 3-0 loss in September.
The host team defeated the second-ranked team in the competition 4-0, marking the most home victory by a league leader against that opponent since Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 5-0 in 1945.
This season, Girona has been LALIGA's surprise package. They entered this match just two points behind Real Madrid and had only lost once, to their rivals at Estadi Montilivi in a 3-0 loss in September.
With coach MÃchel receiving a touchline ban for his protests against a refereeing decision against Real Sociedad last weekend, the visitors faced a daunting task ahead of their most recent match. Furthermore, veteran defender Daley Blind and impact player Yangel Herrera missed the game due to their respective suspensions following five yellow card accumulations.
Not that Carlo Ancelotti didn't have his share of troubles when managing Real Madrid. Due to an injury, Antonio Rüdiger was forced to miss the game, leaving the Italians without a fit central defender.
In the end, Girona was unable to muster a single shot on goal at the Bernabéu, leaving Real Madrid with little defensive worries. Rather, VinÃcius Júnior scored the first goal after just six minutes with a beautiful curling shot from the edge of the area.
After the treasure chest was unlocked, Real Madrid discovered their opening and Jude Bellingham took advantage of it, scoring two more goals to give the league leaders a commanding lead over their nearest competitors.
In yet another display of individual skill, Rodrygo Goes made it four when he broke through the Girona defense and curled the ball past Paulo Gazzaniga in the Girona goal. Just before full time, Joselu missed an opportunity to make it five when he struck a penalty kick against the post.
Girona is mathematically speaking still very much in the race. They have only drawn five out of 24 games, and this was only their second loss of the year. This indicates that they are only five points behind Los Blancos and are keeping up with Real Madrid.
Even Ancelotti, who stated during his pre-match press conference on Friday that "a win will just give an advantage, but the title will be decided further down the line," must now be feeling cautiously confident.
Even Ancelotti, who stated during his pre-match press conference on Friday that "a win will just give an advantage, but the title will be decided further down the line," must now be feeling cautiously confident.
In addition to the fact that the two teams are currently separated by five points, Real Madrid has gained a comfortable lead in the head-to-head matchup. Girona was defeated by Real Madrid 7-0 on the total score of the home and away games, earning them another point in the standings.
There is enough to fight for with several months left in the season, and Real Madrid's defensive injury crisis has its own challenges. However, it would take a major setback for Real Madrid to give up the advantage. Since their September loss to Atlético Madrid, they have gone undefeated in LALIGA. They have also tied Girona for the most goals scored with 52, and their six goal deficit is the fewest of any defensive team in the league.