Real Madrid title hopes dented by Girona draw

Fede Valverde drilled Alvaro Arbeloa's side ahead early in the second half but Thomas Lemar's fine strike secured a point for the Catalan visitors at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The draw against Girona brought Madrid within six points of La Liga leaders Barcelona, but the Catalans host local rivals Espanyol on Saturday when they could move nine ahead with a victory.

Madrid head to Bavaria to face Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash on Wednesday, trailing 2-1, in the competition where their hopes of silverware this season now mainly lie.

Los Blancos were upset by a late penalty appeal not given after Girona defender Vitor Reis' arm caught Madrid's Kylian Mbappe in the face.

"It's a penalty here and on the moon," complained Madrid coach Arbeloa.

"Nobody understands it... when VAR gets involved, I imagine it's when it suits them, and when it doesn't, then it doesn't."

The coach admitted his team were not at their best following a third consecutive game without a win across all competitions.

"Without playing the most brilliant match we've played, it's obvious and clear this is a game we should have won," said Arbeloa, insisting Madrid would not give up in the title race despite their situation.

"Until we lose La Liga we'll keep fighting for it... we have to fight until the last day."

After Jude Bellingham impressed as a substitute in the first leg against Bayern, Arbeloa gave him his first start since January.

Madrid had the better of the first half but needed goalkeeper Andriy Lunin to save well from Azzedine Ounahi early on.

At the other end Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga denied Mbappe and Valverde as Los Blancos began to knock on the door.

Bellingham tested Gazzaniga early in the second half with a drive from the edge of the box, shortly before his team took the lead.

Valverde lashed in a shot from the edge of the box which Gazzaniga tried to push out with his wrists but badly misjudged and the ball flew past him and into the net.

Madrid's top goalscorer Mbappe mis-hit a shot when well placed and Gazzaniga saved well at his near post to keep Vinicius at bay as Madrid tried to put the game to bed.

Instead Girona pulled level, with former Atletico midfielder Lemar planting a superb strike from the edge of the box beyond Lunin's helpless dive and into the bottom corner.
Munich in mind
Arbeloa took off England international Bellingham shortly after the hour with the visit to Munich in mind.

"We saw Bellingham feeling good, sharp, confident," said Arbeloa.

"This is the first game he's started since coming back (from injury) but I think it's done him a lot of good to get minutes, find rhythm... and I think we should be very pleased with his performance."

Madrid's hopes of a trophy appear to hinge on that match against Vincent Kompany's side, with only seven La Liga matches remaining to try and overhaul Hansi Flick's Barca, the reigning champions.

Gazzaniga beat away Mbappe's shot and the French superstar appealed in vain for a penalty as he collided with Reis in the box.

The defender caught the forward with his arm as Mbappe tried to dart behind him, leaving the French forward with blood on his face.

Six minutes of stoppage time were added on but they were not enough for Arbeloa's underwhelming team to conjure a late winner.

"To beat any team we need to give 200 percent," reiterated Arbeloa, after saying the same following last weekend's defeat by Mallorca in La Liga.

Girona, 12th, could make a late push for a European spot after spending much of the season battling relegation.

"I think we improved as the game went on, the first half was a bit tough for us and the second, we came into the game well," Lemar told Movistar.

"We're going game by game, we'll try to get to 42 points and after that we'll see (how high we can go)."