Real Madrid’s performance against Girona on Matchday 24 of La Liga was indescribable. Few anticipated that the match against Michel’s team would be a crucial encounter early in the season, but the game did not turn out to be as closely contested as projected by experts.
Girona, despite their notable achievements this season, were unable to counteract the devastating offensive prowess of Los Blancos. The Merengues’ exceptional effectiveness in front of goal often caused significant setbacks for the Catalans, despite their initial dominance in the game.
The final score of 4-0 accurately represents the outcome of the game that took place on Saturday. Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo Goes, and Jude Bellingham all scored goals, with Joselu just missing the opportunity to add his name to the list by failing to convert a last-minute penalty.
Madrid Universal presents three key discussion themes from the Real Madrid versus Girona match.
Ancelotti’s exceptional coaching prowess
The performance of Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday was remarkable in many aspects, but perhaps the most astonishing of all was their defensive exhibition.
Prior to the match against Girona, the management did not have any healthy choices for the center defensive position. The manager was compelled to use two improvised centre-backs due to Antonio Rudiger’s recent injury setback and Nacho Fernandez’s extended stretch of absence.
Aurelien Tchouameni and Dani Carvajal were the team’s center-backs for the match. Unavoidably, the initial perception was that the pair would be the team’s weakest point on the field, yet their performance exuded excellence.
Although they were placed in a difficult situation, the defensive pair delivered an impeccable performance that can only be characterized as inspiring. Girona was provided with little opportunities to launch attacks as the team maintained a disciplined defensive formation and effectively cleared the ball when faced with pressure.
Los Blancos only conceded five shots against Girona in a span of ninety minutes, remarkably preventing them from having any attempts on target. Given that the Catalans had the most number of goals scored in the league before the start of the game, it is an extraordinary accomplishment for a right-back and defensive midfielder to successfully maintain a clean sheet.
A generational performance
Real Madrid displayed an excellent performance in all areas of the field on Saturday. The centre-backs executed their responsibilities with flawless conscientiousness, while Toni Kroos dominated the midfield with his faultless long passes and Eduardo Camavinga’s vertical sprints.
However, the standout performer was Vinicius Jr., who just recovered from a neck ailment earlier in the week.
The Brazilian forward dominated Girona’s right side of the field at the Bernabeu and completely seized the spotlight on his own. Each time he had the ball, he posed a significant danger to surpass the other team’s defense and generate an opportunity, to the point that their right-back Yan Couto was visibly emotional at the end of the match.
Vinicius began the scoring early in the match, precisely in the fifth minute, with an extraordinary goal from outside the penalty area. Subsequently, he delivered a remarkable assist for Jude Bellingham’s second goal by skillfully curving the ball over the defensive line and directly into the path of the Englishman towards the goal.
Predictably, he also played a crucial role in the team’s third goal, deftly evading and dribbling past the Catalan defense before providing a perfect assist to Bellingham.
In summary, he made a total of nine dribble attempts, successfully finished five of them, took two shots that were on target, and produced three important passes throughout the game. Revolutionary.
Is the league championship secured?
The victory of Real Madrid over Girona has significant importance for many reasons, with the most crucial being its impact on the league rankings.
With a victory on Saturday, Real Madrid now has a commanding lead in La Liga with 61 points after just 24 games, positioning them as the frontrunners to win the championship. Ultimately, Girona were compelled to relinquish points, resulting in their current position of being an astonishing five points behind Real Madrid.
The La Liga championship race will remain mathematically open for a significant duration with 14 games remaining. Nevertheless, the victory over Girona essentially guarantees the championship for Carlo Ancelotti’s team, given their dominant performance throughout the season.
The five-point advantage also affords them the necessary leeway to prioritize the UEFA Champions League. The dressing room has a sense of liberation upon realizing that the league victory is almost secured. This realization is expected to have a noticeable impact on the team’s next UCL matches.