MADRID (AP) — Real Madrid and Girona have continued their impressive run to reach the halfway point of the Spanish league season in first place.
Both teams won on Wednesday, with 48 points after 19 games, with third-placed Atlético Madrid back within 10 points. Real Madrid won first against Girona in the tie-break. Barcelona can move within seven points of the leaders with a win against Las Palmas on Thursday.
Madrid beat Mallorca 1-0 at home thanks to a late goal from Antonio Rudiger, with Vinicius Junior returning from injury.
Girona Spanish soccer surprise team This season, Ivan Martín scored the winning goal in stoppage time to defeat Atletico 4-3.
Alvaro Morata scores a hat-trick for Atlético, Antoine Griezmann stays without a goal Tied with Luis Aragones He became the club’s all-time leading scorer with 173 goals.
girona thriller
Faced with an even tougher challenge, Girona once again overcame the situation, defeating Diego Simeone’s Atlético and showing they can be considered genuine title contenders.
Martin scored the winning goal in the first minute of stoppage time, evading a series of attacks from Atlético defenders inside the area and firing a left-footed shot into the top corner of the goal.
The hosts led 3-1 until Morata completed his hat-trick with an equalizer in the 54th minute. Valerie Fernandes, Sabinho and Daley Blind scored Girona’s other goals at the Montilivi Stadium.
Michel’s team boasts the best attack in the league, scoring 46 goals, four more than Madrid. Girona has 15 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss against Madrid.
Since losing 3-0 at home to Madrid in September, they have remained unbeaten in 13 games in all competitions. Last month, they defeated defending champion Barcelona 4-2.
“We’re going to take it one game at a time,” Martin said. “We are close to securing a place in Europe but we have to keep this momentum going and try to get as many points as possible. And at the end of the season we will know where we are. Let’s go.”
Madrid keep pushing
Vinicius returned for the first time in about two months due to a muscle injury, but Spain’s strong team struggled in attack, and Rudiger headed a corner kick taken by Luka Modric into the top corner of the goal just before the end of the first half. broke the equilibrium. 78 minutes.
“I’m very happy because it was an important goal for us and an important three points,” Rudiger said.
The result extended Madrid’s unbeaten run in all competitions to 18 games since losing 3-1 to Atlético in September. This was the team’s only loss in a season in which they won 21 games and tied three.
Mallorca suffered two defeats at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, leaving them in 14th place, four points off the relegation zone. The team, led by Mexican coach Javier Aguirre, had won two of their last three league games, against Sevilla and Osasuna.
Vinicius has not played since injuring a muscle in his leg during a World Cup qualifier against Brazil in November. He had some clear chances on Wednesday, but he couldn’t capitalize.
Defender Dani Carvajal has also returned to Madrid, but manager Carlo Ancelotti is still without several key players, including goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defenders David Alaba and Eder Militao, due to a long-term knee injury. Ta.
Celta wins
Celta Vigo defeated Real Betis 2-1 at home with Swedish teenager Williot Swedberg scoring the winning goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
This result lifted Celta out of the relegation zone. The Vigo side have won two of their last three league games after enduring a 12-game winless run in the competition.
Real Betis remained in 7th place without a win in five consecutive games.
In a match between two teams in the relegation zone, 19th place Granada defeated 18th place Cadiz 2-0 at home.
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