Real Madrid takes La Liga lead as Girona FC faces first setback in fairy-tale season

After securing a draw on Monday against Athletic Club de Bilbao (1-1), the small Catalan club now finds itself in the second position behind the Madrid giant. However, this season continues to be a complete surprise for the 13th-budget team in the Spanish league. Could this be the beginning of the end for the fairy tale of Girona FC?

Having achieved its best start to a season in history, the small Catalan club dropped points for the first time in two months by settling for a draw on Monday against Athletic Club de Bilbao (1-1), concluding the 14th round of La Liga.

This result has direct consequences in the standings, allowing Real Madrid to take the lead in the Spanish championship due to a better goal difference (+22 compared to +15).

Despite opening the scoring with Ukrainian international Viktor Tsygankov (1-0, 56th minute), Girona conceded the equalizer from Inaki Williams on the counter (1-1, 68th minute).

Nevertheless, the sensation of the first half of the La Liga season remains securely in the Champions League qualifying zone, with a four-point lead over Atlético de Madrid (3rd) and FC Barcelona (4th), and even ten points ahead of their Monday night opponent (5th) and Real Sociedad (6th).

The 13th-budget team in La Liga on the verge of reaching the Champions League?

Girona’s record, as the 13th-budget team in La Liga with a municipal stadium of 14,000 seats, is indeed remarkable, with a series of five consecutive victories in recent weeks and a total of eleven wins, two draws, and only one defeat in the top flight (on September 30 against Real Madrid, 0-3).

This slight setback against Bilbao doesn’t worry coach Michel Sanchez at all: «It was a great match from both teams, a very high-level performance. This match sets the standard for where we are; I think it’s the best opponent we’ve faced here».

Source: 20minutes