Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Girona: Los Blancos Waste Away the La Liga Title

Los Blancos are inching toward a trophyless season for the first time since 2020–21.

Jude Bellingham’s return to the XI could not help Real Madrid get back to winning ways. | Diego Souto/Getty Images

Any sliver of hope Real Madrid had left in the La Liga title race was snuffed out after they only managed a dismal 1–1 draw with Girona.

A packed Bernabéu serenaded the 15-time European champions with deafening boos for the umpteenth time this season when the final whistle sounded on Friday evening. Federico Valverde’s lucky strike from distance was the only goal Los Blancos produced against a Girona side with just two wins in their last seven matches.

The midfielder’s finish would have been enough for three points, but another sequence of lackadaisical defending from the hosts allowed Thomas Lemar to equalize just past the hour-mark. Despite dominating the game, Real Madrid could not find a winner in the remaining 30 minutes.

Álvaro Arbeloa’s men have now failed to win their last three matches across all competitions. A victory from Barcelona on Saturday would put the Catalans nine points clear, all while Los Blancos somehow must prepare for the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Bayern Munich.

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The Problem That Won’t Go Away

Kylian Mbappé got nothing going against Girona. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

There’s plenty reasons for Real Madrid’s struggles as of late, but perhaps none more so than their poor finishing. Arbeloa’s men wasted chance after chance against Bayern Munich midweek and picked up right where they left off against Girona.

Unlike previous La Liga fixtures, Los Blancos started bright. Clever balls from Eduardo Camavinga, daring runs from Jude Bellingham and excellent link-up play from Brahim Díaz created glorious goalscoring opportunities for just about everyone on the pitch, especially Mbappé and Vinicius Jr.

Yet the team simply could not produce the end product. Suddenly, the hosts went down the tunnel with nothing to show for a dominant first half in which they registered five shots on target, just one shy of the total they managed in 90 minutes against Mallorca last weekend.

The second half started off with more of the same until a goalkeeping error from Paulo Gazzaniga gifted Los Blancos the game’s opener. Even with a lead and Girona reeling, Arbeloa’s star-studded attack still squandered easy chances, leaving the door open for Lemar to equalize and ultimately, send Girona home with a positive result.

More clinical finishing from some of the best forwards in the world would have secured a comfortable victory, but instead, Real Madrid scored just one goal, like they had in each of their last two previous games.

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Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Girona (4-4-2)

Federico Valverde (left) and Brahim Díaz combined for Real Madrid’s only goal. | Diego Souto/Getty Images)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Andriy Lunin—6.6: Has yet to keep a clean sheet this season, but Lemar’s goal was hardly his fault. Didn’t find his services needed for much of the night.

RB: Dani Carvajal—6.7: A solid performance, likely because he didn’t have much defending to do, especially in transition. Appeared more physically fit than he had in previous outings.

CB: Éder Militão—7.0: Looked right at home in his first start in four months. Fearless in his challenges, always in the right place and even burst forward at times.

CB: Raúl Asencio—6.9: Bright in his first appearance in a month, but it must be said Girona certainly didn’t test Real Madrid’s backline.

LB: Fran García—7.5: Won the battle against Viktor Tsygankov and had promising interventions at both ends of the pitch. Knows when to step aside for the players ahead of him to take the lead.

RM: Federico Valverde—8.0: Returned to the scoresheet with another trademarked goal from distance, though it no doubt should have been saved.

CM: Jude Bellingham—7.3: Ghosted into the box with exceptional runs from deep. Desperate to score, but made up for his rusty finishing with his work rate. Seemingly never stopped running.

CM: Eduardo Camavinga—7.3: Dazzling with his forward passing in the early stages, setting up tantalizing chances for his teammates. At the scene of the crime at the other end of the pitch after a half-hearted attempt to close down Lemar in the build-up to his equalizer.

LM: Brahim Díaz—8.4: A redemptive outing after his dismal display against Mallorca. Linked up well with Bellingham and Vinicius Jr to create chance after chance. More than deserved the assist he tallied.

ST: Kylian Mbappé—6.3: Failed to capitalize on early chances again. Favored either wing instead of playing as a center forward, leaving a gaping hole inside the box. Kept serving crosses to nobody.

ST: Vinicius Junior—7.7: Wasteful in the final third. Tried to take on Girona’s entire defense at times without any end product. Forced a few easy-to-save shots. Lacked any killer instinct.

SUB: Dean Huijsen (64’ for Militão)—6.6: Did his job defensively. Sent a header sailing over the crossbar.

SUB: Arda Güler (64’ for Bellingham)—6.3: Not one of his more impactful cameos. Created zero chances.

SUB: Aurélien Tchouaméni (79’ for Camavinga)—6.1: His defensive efforts in the middle of the park were hardly needed.

SUB: Ferland Mendy (79’ for F. García)—6.2: Played well, but such few minutes might prevent him from getting the nod in the Champions League.

SUB: Gonzalo García (84’ for Díaz)—N/A

Subs not used: Fran González (GK), David Alaba, Jesús Fortea, Dani Ceballos, Manuel Ángel, Thiago Pitarch, Daniel Yáñez.

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What the Ratings Tell Us

Kylian Mbappé (left) and Vinicius Junior created little magic on the night. | Guillermo Martinez/NurPhoto/Getty Images

• Kylian Mbappé’s return has completely disrupted the flow of Real Madrid’s attack. The 27-year-old spent too much time on the right wing, lobbing crosses into a box without a center forward ... because the Frenchman is the center forward. His distance also prevented any fruitful link up play with Vinicius Jr.
• Real Madrid lost so much danger once Jude Bellingham came off the pitch. The England international was constantly making runs and getting on the end of dangerous balls, and no one replicated his efforts once he took his place on the bench.
• Ferland Mendy’s return was a silver lining to an otherwise disappointing evening. The left back only logged 11 minutes plus stoppage time, but he looked sharp defensively and was perfect with the ball at his feet. It remains to be seen, though, if the cameo was enough to get him ready to start against Bayern on Wednesday.

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The Numbers That Explain Real Madrid’s Disappointing Draw

Álvaro Arbeloa saw his team’s great run of form come crashing down after the international break. | Guillermo Martinez/NurPhoto/Getty Images

• Once again, Los Blancos underperformed their xG, which was 2.22. Twenty-two total shots and nine on target were not enough for the team to score more than one goal.
• It was hard for Real Madrid to get into any type of flow in the final third thanks to 13 fouls from Girona.
• The visitors never looked much a threat to score, as shown by their 0.52 xG. Yet one lapse in concentration from Arbeloa’s men allowed Girona to walk away with a point.

Statistic	Real Madrid	Girona
Possession	61%	39%
Expected Goals (xG)	2.22	0.52
Total Shots	22	10
Shots on Target	9	2
Big Chances	2	3
Pass Accuracy	92%	89%
Fouls	9	12
Corners	10	11

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