Real Madrid Draws Against Girona; Villarreal, Atletico, and Barcelona Tighten La Liga Title Race

Real Madrid's quest to reclaim the La Liga summit faltered on Sunday as they were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by relegation-battling Girona at the Estadi Montilivi, marking their third consecutive stalemate in the competition and allowing rivals Barcelona to extend their lead at the top. Azzedine Ounahi stunned the visitors with a first-half rocket in the 45th minute, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to give the hosts a deserved halftime advantage. Kylian Mbappé, fresh from a four-goal haul in midweek Champions League action against Olympiakos, leveled the scores from the penalty spot in the 67th minute after a handball in the box, but Madrid's late push yielded no winner despite a near-miss from the Frenchman deep into stoppage time.

The result, which came after Barcelona's 3-1 victory over Alaves on Saturday, leaves Xabi Alonso's side one point adrift of the Catalans after 14 matches, with both teams locked on 31 points. Madrid's inability to convert second-half dominance into goals drew mixed reactions from the coach, who praised his team's resilience but lamented their finishing. "We improved after the break and could have won, but we couldn't capitalize on the chances," Alonso said, while highlighting a controversial non-call on a challenge against Rodrygo that sparked penalty appeals in the 80th minute. Mbappé's equalizer, his 14th league goal of the season, underscored his importance, though a disallowed strike moments earlier for handball added to the sense of what might have been.

Girona, languishing in 18th place with just one win in their last six outings, showed remarkable composure against the champions, twice defeating them at home since their 2017 top-flight debut. Goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga's sharp saves and the side's disciplined defending frustrated Madrid's attacks, earning plaudits from the hosts' bench. The point provides a rare lifeline for the Catalan minnows amid a tough campaign, but it does little to ease their drop-zone woes.

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Elsewhere, the La Liga title race intensified as third-placed Villarreal maintained their five-match winning streak with a dramatic 3-2 triumph at Real Sociedad, thanks to Alberto Moleiro's stoppage-time strike from the edge of the box. The Yellow Submarine, trailing 2-0 before a Sociedad comeback faltered, now sits one point behind Madrid and ahead of fourth-placed Atletico Madrid, who secured a 2-0 home win over bottom-side Oviedo on Saturday. The top four—Barcelona, Real Madrid, Villarreal, and Atletico—are separated by just three points, setting the stage for a fiercely contested December.

In the Seville derby, Real Betis climbed to fifth with a 2-0 victory over struggling Sevilla, courtesy of second-half goals from Pablo Fornals and Sergi Altimira, though the match was paused for over 15 minutes due to objects thrown by home fans. Sixth-placed Espanyol rounded off the day with a late 1-0 win at Celta Vigo, Kike Garcia's 86th-minute header sealing their rise from 12th.

With the international break looming, Madrid's dropped points amplify pressure on Alonso to address their drawing streak before the festive fixtures, while Barcelona's consistency under Hansi Flick positions them as frontrunners in a bunched-up standings that promises twists aplenty in Spain's marquee league.

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