Real Madrid vs Girona – News and Probable Lineups

After experiencing consecutive losses, Real Madrid will return to action in La Liga with a home game against Girona this Friday evening.

Los Blancos have a significant deficit to close at the top of the La Liga standings, currently in second place and seven points adrift of leaders Barcelona, while Girona sits in 12th place.

Match overview

Real Madrid’s aspirations for the La Liga title were severely impacted last weekend, suffering a 2-1 setback against struggling Mallorca, just as Barcelona secured a late victory over Atletico Madrid, widening the gap between the two teams at the summit to seven points.

For any chance of catching Barcelona, Los Blancos will likely need to secure victories in all of their remaining league games, while Alvaro Arbeloa’s team also has responsibilities in the Champions League, following a 2-1 loss to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their quarter-final on Tuesday.

Real Madrid will compete against Girona before heading to Germany for the return leg in their European showdown with the Bundesliga champions, requiring an extraordinary performance to advance to the Champions League semi-finals.

This season at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid has recorded 13 victories and just two defeats in 15 league fixtures, and they will be facing a Girona team that has earned 15 points from their last 15 away matches.

Historically, Real Madrid has triumphed in eight of their past 13 encounters with Girona across all competitions, although their earlier matchup this season ended in a 1-1 draw.

Girona has struggled against Real Madrid in their last five meetings, losing four of those matches, including a 2-0 defeat in their previous encounter during the 2024-25 season.

However, the Catalonian side managed to secure their first-ever victory against Real Madrid in July 2017 and also boasts a recent success at the Bernabeu, pulling off a 2-1 win in February 2019 – marking their second of three wins against the capital club.

Heading into this fixture, Girona will be buoyed by their recent performance, having defeated Villarreal 1-0, amassing six points from their last three matches, with a previous triumph over Athletic Bilbao on March 14.

Currently, Michel’s team holds 12th place in the standings, eight points clear of the relegation zone and seven points behind sixth-placed Celta Vigo, with a mid-table finish appearing attainable.

The White and Reds will recognize that Real Madrid may focus on other matters going into this match, which could provide them with an edge on Friday evening.

Real Madrid La Liga form:

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Real Madrid form (all competitions):

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Girona La Liga form:

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Team News

For Friday’s La Liga clash, Real Madrid will be missing Rodrygo (knee), Thibaut Courtois (thigh) and Franco Mastantuono (suspended), while Ferland Mendy (hamstring) will undergo a late fitness assessment to determine his availability.

To retain any chance in the title race, Los Blancos must claim victory, so Arbeloa cannot completely alter his lineup in anticipation of the second leg against Bayern; however, alterations are expected, with Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Fran Garcia, and Eduardo Camavinga all likely to see action in the starting XI.

Due to his suspension for the return leg against Bayern, Aurelien Tchouameni is expected to be in the lineup, while Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe are anticipated to continue their roles in the front three.

On the Girona side, Portu (knee), Donny van de Beek (Achilles), Juan Carlos (knee), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (hamstring), and Ricard Artero (ankle) will not feature in Madrid.

Vladyslav Vanat (thigh) and Daley Blind (muscle) both had to be replaced during their recent match against Villarreal, with the former more likely to miss out.

Abel Ruiz could replace Vanat, while Thomas Lemar may again start on the bench, with Ivan Martin expected to maintain his position in the lineup.

Real Madrid probable starting XI:

Monday; Carvajal, Militao, Huijsen, F Garcia; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Guler; Vinicius, Mbappe

Girona probable starting XI:

Gazzaniga; Martinez, Reis, Blind, Moreno; Beltran, Witsel; Tsygankov, Martin, Ounahi; Ruiz

This match is crucial for Real Madrid as they must secure a win. Although they are currently struggling with consistency, we predict they will find a way to earn an essential three points this Friday.