Real Madrid put in one of the worst performances of their season, as they lost 4-2 away against Girona. The result ended any remaining hopes that the club might have had of having an outside chance in the title race. It is pretty much over for all intents and purposes, and it is time to shift the entire focus towards the Copa del Rey and the Champions League.
For a while, Real Madrid’s performances in La Liga games have been inconsistent. It just does not feel like they perform at the same level or with the same urgency, that they do in cup competitions.
The terrible performance against Girona was a great example of that. And Valentin Castellanos ended up scoring four goals against Real Madrid. That is the first time that that has happened in a league match in this century.
Carlo Ancelotti did not seem pleased with his team’s performance, as you would expect and he even went on to apologise. As reported by 90min, the Real Madrid manager said:
"“This game does not represent Madrid.“We apologise, but we must look forward.“It is difficult but easy to explain. We have not been forceful as in the last games. There has been a lack of commitment. We left too many transitions. With the ball, we started well, but without the ball, we left too much space.”"
Ancelotti sends message to Real Madrid fans after losing to Girona
Ultimately, the result against Girona will not have a huge impact on the title race. That was already pretty much over. As things stand, Barcelona are 11 points ahead and have played a game less as well.
It does raise concerns about several aspects of Real Madrid’s game with the Copa del Rey final against Osasuna and the Champions League semi-finals against Manchester City not far away. They cannot afford to put in a performance like the one against Girona in any of those games.
The good thing is, this Real Madrid team seems to step up to the plate and perform at their best whenever the pressure is highest. And the fans will be hoping for the same, when silverware is up for grabs.