Real Madrid's difficult spring continued on Friday evening as they were held to a 1-1 draw by mid-table Girona at home, according to the Guardian. It is the third successive fixture without a win in all competitions for the Madrid side, following defeats to Mallorca and Bayern, and the result was met with jeers from the home support.
Federico Valverde gave Madrid the lead six minutes into the second half, only for Thomas Lemar to draw Girona level in the 62nd minute. The equaliser proved the decisive moment, with Madrid unable to find a winner despite the pressure of a restless crowd.
Álvaro Arbeloa's side now sit six points behind Barcelona in the La Liga table, with their rivals holding a fixture in hand. Should Barcelona win that game against Espanyol on Saturday, the gap at the top would move to nine points with seven rounds of fixtures remaining — a margin that would represent a significant setback to Madrid's title hopes at this stage of the campaign.
Girona, who have occupied the middle reaches of the table for much of the season, will take considerable satisfaction from the point. Away performances of this kind — disciplined, clinical at the right moment — illustrate precisely why the top clubs in Spain have found consistent form so difficult to sustain this spring.
For Madrid, the concern is less any single result than the pattern now forming across several weeks. Three fixtures without a win, increasing anxiety among supporters, and a title rival ready to capitalise: the coming days will do much to define the character of their remaining campaign.