Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
Real Madrid’s hopes of defending their La Liga title could already be in tatters after a shock defeat yesterday afternoon and the hands of relative minnows Girona. Played among the backdrop of the ongoing Catalan independence row you could not have got a more symbolic victory if you tried.
Football has a habit of writing momentous stories and Sunday was no different as the favourite club of former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont earned themselves a historic as not just the footballing world but the wider community looked on.
Anyway enough of the geopolitics, time to focus on the game itself. It looked like it was going to be a routine aftenoon for Los Blancos as Isco gave Real Madrid the lead on 12 minutes. The Spanish international tapped home from close range and you would have every reason to think that they would be returning with all three points.
But with Zinedine Zidane’s men failing to add to their goal tally in the first half Girona were still very much in the game and came out after the restart full of belief. This would be no less apparent when nine minutes after the break they had drawn level.
The ex-Middlesbrough striker Cristhian Stuani leveled proceedings and then made a contest of this encounter and just four minutes later the game would be turned on its head when Midfielder Portu back-heeled the ball into the net for what would prove to be the winner.
Girona had a nervy half hour or so as they had to keep Real Madrid at bay but they completed the task in hand to kickstart jubilant celebrations. For the current Champions League holders they are now 8 points behind Barcelona and now travel to Wembley to face Tottenham on Wednesday night.
Here is all the action from yesterday
