Girona and Madrid have both been considered strong teams in La Liga this season, but Girona has emerged as the surprise package of the campaign so far. In their latest match, Girona beat Madrid 2-1, taking down what was once seen as a dark horse in the competition.
The game started off with both teams playing aggressively, with Madrid trying to establish control of the midfield and Girona looking to create chances on the counterattack. However, it wasn't until the second half that Girona really began to show their attacking prowess.
In the 68th minute, Girona's captain, Lionel Messi, scored his first goal for the club since joining from Barcelona last summer. The goal came after a well-worked move involving Messi and Luis Suárez, and it gave Girona a vital lead going into halftime.
Madrid looked to respond in the second half, but they were unable to find the back of the net. In fact, they were reduced to ten men when Nacho Fernandez was sent off for a second bookable offense.
Despite this setback, Madrid refused to give up and continued to push forward in search of an equalizer. However, Girona held firm and were able to see out the final stages of the match without conceding another goal.
For Girona, this victory is a huge boost to their La Liga title hopes. They now sit just one point behind leaders Real Madrid, who themselves have won just one of their last six games. With only three games left to play, there is still plenty of time for Girona to make up ground and challenge for the top spot.
Overall, this was a great result for Girona and a reminder of why they were tipped as the dark horse of the La Liga season. Their performance against Madrid showed that they can compete with the best teams in the league, and their recent form could see them making a serious run at the title come the end of the season.