Girona stops Real Madrid again
Vinícius put the leader ahead, but a Stuani penalty rescued a point for the Catalans
MADRID, 30 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Real Madrid stumbled again this Sunday and gave up a draw against Girona (1-1) at the Santiago Bernabéu, a result that, despite everything, returns it to the leadership of LaLiga Santander after a game in which the Brazilian striker Vinícius Jr. put an end to the resistance of the Catalan team, who found a reward for their bravery with the Uruguayan Cristhian Stuani’s penalty goal in the 80th minute.
The white team (32), without Karim Benzema, responded only in part to the pressure of FC Barcelona (31), which on Saturday rose to the top of the table after assaulting Mestalla in the discount (0-1), and he regained his privileged position in a hard-fought match with alternatives, especially in the first half, and was frustrated by the 1-1 draw of Míchel’s men.
Vinícius, at the start of the second half, put Carlo Ancelotti’s men ahead, but only ten minutes later Stuani, with his shot from the maximum penalty, rescued a point for the ‘gironins’ (10), who manage to leave the positions of descent. With this, they return to extract oil from the Bernabéu, where they won on their previous visit, in 2019 (1-2). The controversy was served with a somewhat annulled Brazilian Rodrygo in the 89th minute when Melero López interpreted that Gazzaniga already had the ball with one hand.
Croatian Luka Modric, back in the team, unleashed hostilities in the first minute of the game with a shot inside the area that went wide, before Taty Castellanos gave him a reply in minute 2 with a volley that he did not find either goal.
The match, a true street runner, offered opportunities for both, such as a header from Valery that grazed the post or a shot from Rodrygo that did crash into the post in the 23rd minute. Already in the 38th minute, it was the crossbar that prevented the both from Yangel Herrera.
After the break, Valery tested Courtois one-on-one in a play that the referee annulled for offside, but it would be the white team that would finally inaugurate the Chamartín luminous; Fede Valverde put it at the second post and Vinícius did not miss the opportunity to send the ball to the bottom of the net (min.70).
Gazzaniga still had to stop a couple of minutes later another shot by Marco Asensio, the involuntary protagonist of the Red and Whites’ goal; a hand from the Balearic within the area caused the referee to consult with the VAR and the subsequent marking of the penalty spot, where Stuani did not miss his shot (min. 80).
Ancelotti’s men went for the second goal and found it on the verge of discount in the boots of Rodrygo, who after two first shots disrupted by Gazzaniga managed to score, but when the Argentine goalkeeper held the ball with one hand, so the referee annulled it.
The nine long minutes of extension still left the German Toni Kroos expelled after seeing his second yellow card. Not even with one player less did the Madrid team stop insisting, and finally had to settle for a draw, the second consecutive stumble after their defeat in the ‘Champions’ against Leipzig.
–RESULT: REAL MADRID, 1 – GIRONA, 1 (0-0, at halftime).
REAL MADRID: Courtois; Carvajal, Alaba, Rüdiger, Mendy (Militao, min.87); Camavinga (Asensio, min. 61), Modric, Kroos; Valverde (Mariano, min.86), Vinícius and Rodrygo.
GIRONA: Gazzaniga; Arnau, Couto (Riquelme, min.58), Bueno, David López, Miguel Gutiérrez (Javi Hernández, min.63); Romeu, Herrera (Reinier, min.76), Aleix, Valery (Toni Villa, min.76); and Castellanos (Stuani, min.76).
1-0, min.70: Vinicius.
1-1, min. 80: Stuani, penalty.
–REFEREE: Melero López (C.Andaluz). He admonished Modric (min.75) for Real Madrid and David López (min.51), Gazzaniga (min.59) and Arnau (min.94) for Girona. He expelled Toni Kroos for a double yellow card (min.55 and 91).
–Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. 58,367 spectators.
