Analysis by Hikaru Sakamoto
Real Madrid slip off the top after a draw with Girona — even Mbappé’s 14th league goal of the season, a penalty, couldn’t save them.
Sunday, November 30, 2025
Girona came into the match sitting 18th with only two wins from 13 games, desperate for any points they could grab. Real Madrid, who had been top before the weekend, kicked off knowing Barcelona’s earlier win had pushed them down to second — victory was a must.
Madrid controlled the early phases but couldn’t break through. Mbappé thought he’d opened the scoring in the 42nd minute, only for VAR to rule it out. Moments later, Girona stunned them: Tsygankov slipped a clever ball into space and Ounahi smashed it into the top corner for a 1–0 halftime lead.
Madrid kept dominating after the break but still couldn’t find a way through until the 67th minute, when Vinícius was brought down in the box and Mbappé buried the penalty for 1–1 — his 14th league goal in 14 games. Rodrygo came on as they pushed for a comeback, but Girona held on and the match finished level, sending Madrid back down to second place.
Girona now head into their Copa del Rey tie against Ourense before facing Elche away, while Madrid will travel to Athletic Club next.
【score】
Girona 1–1 Real Madrid
【scorers】
1–0 — 45′ Azzedine Ounahi (Girona)
1–1 — 67′ Kylian Mbappé (pen., Real Madrid)
The Bigger Picture
Calling this a “painful draw” would be far too gentle.
Against Girona, Real Madrid fired 25 shots and still needed a Kylian Mbappé penalty just to escape with a point. That single fact alone says everything about where this team currently stands.
More than the loss of top spot, what truly crushes the mood among supporters is the content of the performance.
Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Federico Valverde — the names are there, yet the football remains completely disconnected. Valverde repeatedly made intelligent runs into open space, but no one ever used them. Whenever a run into the box happened, it instantly looked dangerous — and yet the pass never came.
“This team doesn’t know what it wants to be.”
“Nothing connects. It’s just chaos.”
That feeling is not emotional exaggeration. It is visible on the pitch.
If Mbappé does not score, nothing happens. That is the reality of Real Madrid right now.
Patience with Xabi Alonso has clearly run out.
Decisions feel slow, selections inconsistent, and there is no clear tactical structure holding the team together. The same coach who went unbeaten with Bayer Leverkusen now looks overwhelmed in Madrid — not because he suddenly lost his ability, but because this club’s unique pressure and internal dynamics are already swallowing him whole.
Fan Reactions
Real Madrid fan
- You need the right coach and the right pieces — Madrid has neither right now.
- The season already feels over. Six more months of this boring, hopeless football sounds miserable
- Honestly, do we even need Alonso or Vinícius at this point?
- This match proved how broken the club is internally
- Twenty-five shots for one goal. That says it all
- Everything feels disjointed. No connections, just chaos
- Sell Alonso, Vini, and Rodrygo as a winter clearance bundle
- Three straight league draws. Fantastic
- Just sack Alonso already. Slow decisions, awful lineups, zero tactics
- Vinícius and Rodrygo only stay because Pérez got sentimental after Casemiro worked out
- At this rate we finish 3rd or 4th and go out in the UCL round of 16
- If he can’t deal with unhappy players, he should explain why and leave
- Trophyless season means he’s gone. Who replaces him?
- There’s no sense of progression anywhere in this team
- Without Vini, we wouldn’t even create chances
- Winning El Clásico means nothing if you keep dropping points elsewhere
- Next match at San Mamés… we’re cooked
- Mbappé scoring is literally the only thing this team has
- He won the World Cup playing right wing. This current usage is awful
- We’re still second, but two bad weeks at Madrid equals crisis
- Dropping points away from home has become a habit
- First it was Vini–Mbappé. Now it’s Güler vs Bellingham. Fans love narratives
- We desperately need someone like Kroos to actually use Vinícius properly
- Bring Ramos back in January just to yell at everyone
- Valverde made runs, but nobody uses them. No real striker either
- A real coach needs authority and leadership, not just intelligence
- Whenever someone runs into the box it creates danger — but nobody passes
- Alonso is entering the excuse-making phase. That’s when it’s over
- That Rodrygo incident was a penalty. Home whistle saved them
- On paper the squad looks good, but in reality it isn’t
- As long as Vini demands to play, attacking reinforcements are pointless
- Alonso’s pressing ideas don’t fit players who won’t move or press
- We stopped winning when Mastantuono was dropped
- He’s not perfect, but he’s the only one who brings rhythm
- Coaching Madrid is nothing like coaching Leverkusen
What Remains
What lingers after this match is not rage, but resignation.
A familiar, heavy sense of “here we go again” hangs over everything.
Even Mbappé converting the penalty does not bring comfort.
Because beyond that moment, there is no structure to believe in. Vinícius is isolated. Valverde’s movement is ignored. Young players are introduced in the 89th minute, as if by obligation rather than intent.
Supporters are not asking for miracles.
They are asking for shape, purpose, and basic cohesion.
And what remains, for now, is the cold certainty that this cannot continue as it is.
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