A decisive four-minute stretch in the second half saw Girona upset Real Madrid and leave Los Blancos eight points behind Barca. Shaka Hislop and Alexis Nunes try to make sense of Real Madrid's shock defeat at Girona, and where Zidane & Co. go from here. A decisive four-minute stretch in the second half saw Girona upset Real Madrid and leave Los Blancos eight points behind Barca.
Real Madrid are eight points behind La Liga pace-setters Barcelona following defeat to Pablo Machin's well-oiled Girona team. Los Blancos took the lead in the first half when Isco gobbled up a rebound from Cristiano Ronaldo's shot, but they rode their luck as the home side hit the woodwork twice. After the break, Cristhian Stuani and Portu scored in a frenetic four-minute spell to secure a historic victory for Girona in the first ever competitive meeting between the two sides.
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Positives
Achraf Hakimi has taken to first-team football with ease. The Morocco international was unspectacular and it was far from his best match in a white shirt, but he did not look out of place. Given his age and lack of experience, that represents an unequivocal positive.
Negatives
Real Madrid have never recovered from an eight-point deficit to win La Liga. Barcelona have carved open a gap at the top of the table that is beginning to look insurmountable.
Raphael Varane was the stand-out defender for Madrid in the first half before a hamstring injury forced him off at the break. With a trip to Tottenham looming, Real Madrid fans will hope his substitution was precautionary measure.
It may not be a sophisticated diagnosis, but Madrid are yet to "click". They are not playing with the verve that defined the second half of the 2016-17 season. In the absence of rhythm, it is imperative that teams grind out ugly results. Madrid failed to even do that.
Manager rating out of 10
4 -- Zinedine Zidane was tactically outmanoeuvred by Machin and his well-drilled unit. The inclusion of the quartet of Isco, Luka Modric, Casemiro, and Toni Kroos congested the midfield, and seemed like an attempt to shoehorn players into the side at the expense of tactical coherence. The fact that Zidane matched Girona's system with 25 minutes remaining was a tacit acknowledgement of his initial mistakes.
Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Kiko Casilla, 6 -- Flapped at Pablo Maffeo's 11th minute cross that evaded his grasp and hit the post. He kissed the post in the aftermath as Madrid galloped straight up the pitch and opened the scoring. He certainly owed a debt of gratitude to the woodwork as it came to his rescue once again to deny Portu's header 10 minutes before half-time. Was alert on several occasions to play the "sweeper" role and clear danger with his feet.
DF Achraf Hakimi, 5 -- The 18-year-old continues to adapt well to life in the first team, although he struggled to deal with the marauding presence of Aday Benitez as 46 percent of Girona's attacks came down his flank (compared to 32 percent on the other side). A pass completion rate of 77.8 percent must be improved.
DF Raphael Varane, 7 -- Outstanding before an injury forced him off for Nacho at half-time. Positioned himself well to deal with deliveries from wide areas, and completed more tackles (3) than any other Madrid player apart from Casemiro despite being on the pitch for just 45 minutes.
DF Sergio Ramos, 5 -- The captain was bailed out by his goalkeeper in the first half after woefully under-hitting a backpass. Girona's pack-of-rabid-dogs approach to pressing appeared to fluster Ramos at times, and his temper boiled over in additional time when he barged in to Alex Granell.
DF Marcelo, 4 -- Consistently exposed by Maffeo in the first half. The dot showing his average position was placed on the halfway line, with an expanse of enticing green space behind it. That gung-ho approach was naive against a team that operates with wing-backs.
MF Luka Modric, 5 -- Could not knit defence and attack in his usual seamless manner. Accepted a yellow card for a prudent foul on the brink of half-time, with Girona threatening to gallop clear on the counter-attack.
MF Casemiro, 6 -- Completed six tackles, three more than any other Real Madrid player. Yet he missed the crucial one, which allowed Stuani to score the equaliser. Dropped back to defence when Zidane deployed a three-man defence. "Everyone is worried, we have a lot of work to do," he admitted to Spanish TV after the match.
Marcelo's propensity to get forward often left Real Madrid exposed against pressing Girona.
MF Toni Kroos, 5 -- Mustered 99 touches throughout the course of the match. None of those touches were memorable.
MF Isco, 7 -- Real Madrid's bright spark. Reacted quickly to follow up Cristiano Ronaldo's shot and open the scoring, but struggled to find space behind two strikers who tend to drop deep rather than run behind the defence.
FW Karim Benzema, 5 -- Industrious and bustling in the first half before fading after the break.
FW Cristiano Ronaldo, 6 -- Failed to add to his goal against Getafe as his worst ever start to a La Liga season continues. He generally cut a frustrated figure despite the occasional exchange of neat interplay with Benzema.
Substitutes
DF Nacho, 6 -- He looked aghast as the ball ricocheted off his shin and in to the path of Stuani in the build-up to the Girona equaliser, but he did not have enough time to react.
MF Marco Asensio, 5 -- Assumed an unfamiliar role as a left wing-back in the 66th minute. His blunt performance will have left Theo Hernandez and Marcelo aggrieved that they were not given a chance after the tactical reshuffle.
MF Lucas Vazquez, 6 -- Fared better than Asensio as he got chalk on his boots on the right touchline. Converted Isco's pass with a neat finish on 83 minutes, but the linesman had already hoisted his flag.
Matt McGinn is ESPN FC's Real Madrid blogger. Twitter: @McGinn93
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Source: espn.co.uk