Digimagaz.com – Real Madrid sailed to a 3-0 victory over Girona in the eighth week of the La Liga season, placing Carlo Ancelotti’s squad atop the current standings.
The match, played at Estadi Municipal de Montilivi on Saturday, September 30, 2023, saw Girona nearly take an early lead. A header by Viktor Tsygankov hit the post in the 4th minute, while a 16th-minute effort by Eric Garcia was saved by Madrid’s goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga.
But it was Real Madrid who struck first. In the 17th minute, a low cross from Jude Bellingham was precisely met by Joselu, whose shot rolled past Girona’s goalkeeper, Paulo Gazzaniga, into the net. Just four minutes later, a free-kick from Toni Kroos found Aurelien Tchouameni, who doubled Madrid’s lead with a header.
As the second half unfolded, Girona pressed forward. David Lopez had a golden opportunity in the 50th minute, but his header was once again thwarted by Kepa. Girona’s defenses crumbled in the 71st minute as a powerful shot from Joselu was parried by Gazzaniga. The rebound was quickly seized by Joselu who set up Bellingham for a first-time finish, bringing the score to 3-0.
The game saw its share of drama in injury time when Madrid’s Nacho was sent off following a hard tackle on Cristian Portu. Tempers flared between the teams, resulting in yellow cards for both Antonio Rudiger of Madrid and Cristhian Stuani of Girona.
The victory propels Real Madrid to 21 points, ousting Barcelona from the top spot. On the other hand, Girona now sits in third place with 19 points.
Line-ups:
Girona: Paulo Gazzaniga, Yan Couto, Eric Garcia, Daley Blind, Miguel Gutierrez, Viktor Tsygankov (Sub: Valery Fernandez 46′), Yangel Herrera (Sub: Jhon Elmer Solis 87′), David Lopez (Sub: Cristian Portu 60′), Aleix Garcia, Savio (Sub: Pablo Torre 79′), Artem Dovbyk (Sub: Cristhian Stuani 60′).
Real Madrid: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Eduardo Camavinga, Nacho, Antonio Rudiger, Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos, Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde (Sub: Brahim Diaz 87′), Jude Bellingham (Sub: Dani Ceballos 74′), Joselu (Sub: Lucas Vazquez 87′), Vinicius Junior (Sub: Rodrygo 68′).