Girona and Athletic Bilbao draw 1-1 in their La Liga clash in Girona, Spain, November 27, 2023. /CFP
Girona and Athletic Bilbao draw 1-1 in their La Liga clash in Girona, Spain, November 27, 2023. /CFP
Real Madrid remained at the top of Spain's La Liga on goal difference after Girona drew with Athletic Bilbao 1-1 on Monday night.
Both Real Madrid and Girona have 35 points, followed by Atletico Madrid and Barcelona with 31 points each, and Athletic at fifth with 25. Girona, who finished 10th last season, have won 11 matches out of 14 this season. Real Madrid had earlier taken a comfortable 3-0 win from Cadiz earlier on Sunday.
The match went into halftime goalless, before an unmarked Viktor Tsygankov scored from the far post in a counter-attack to put Girona ahead in the 55th minute, and Inaki Williams shook off two defenders with a left-foot shot to level the score at the 77th minute with a pass from Oihan Sancet Tirapu that split the home team's defense in midfield.
Both teams were on attacking mode and had multiple chances in the opening half, but could not convert their chances.
Gorka Guruzeta found space from Mikel Vesga's cross only five minutes in, but his right-foot shot was denied by Athletic keeper Paulo Gazzaniga, who later saved another from Oscar de Marcos.
Girona midfielder Yangel Herrera then had a header ruled out for offside in the 28th minute with a pass from Savio, who posed much threat in the left to the visitors throughout the match.
Elsewhere in Europe, Fulham beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 in a dramatic fashion in the Premier League with a 94th-minute penalty from Willian, which was his second in the match. In Italy's Serie A, Bologna downed Torino 2-0.