Girona stun sloppy Madrid
Girona pulled off a shock 2-1 victory over Real Madrid on Sunday, in a historic encounter at Montilivi.
Madrid took an early lead through Isco, but Girona hit the woodwork twice and went on to claim a fully-deserved win thanks to goals from Portu and former Middlesbrough striker Cristhian Stuani, ending Los Blancos' record run of 13 consecutive away victories and becoming the first-ever, newly-promoted team to beat the visitors.
Madrid were as full-strength as can be for their first-ever trip to Girona, with Dani Carvajal, Mateo Kovacic, Keylor Navas and Gareth Bale still absent.
Girona, meanwhile, ended a run of six games without a win last weekend, when they beat Deportivo La Coruna 2-1 to move three points clear of La Liga’s relegation places.
Pablo Machin’s side had only defender Pedro Alcala missing, but Manchester City loanee Douglas Luiz didn’t fit into their 5-4-1 formation.
Catalonia’s declaration of independence on Friday resulted in the Spanish state implementing direct rule on the region, prompting fears of a tense atmosphere at Montilivi.
Consequently, there was a significant police presence outside the stadium, similar to Barcelona’s match against Las Palmas behind closed doors at the start of the month.