A late spot-kick converted by Kylian Mbappé spared Real Madrid a shocking defeat, as the Spanish giants were held to a 1–1 draw by league-strugglers Girona FC on Saturday.
Girona shocked the visitors in the first half when defender Cristian Stuani nodded home from a free kick, putting the underdogs ahead against expectations. Real Madrid, frustrated in attack for much of the match, finally earned a penalty late in the game — and Mbappé sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to level the match.
After the rebound goal, Real’s head coach hailed his side’s resilience. “We didn’t play our best football, but the character in that dressing room showed. Even when everything looked wrong, we kept pushing,” he said.
Mbappé, meanwhile, insisted the draw still counts as a step forward: “We came here expecting three points; we leave with one. Not what we wanted — but we take it.”
The result leaves Real Madrid needing to regroup quickly as they chase the league leaders, while Girona’s spirited performance offers a rare point of optimism as they battle to avoid relegation.
