Real Madrid’s hopes of retaining their La Liga crown have been all-bit-ended on Tuesday evening, as a Taty Castellanos masterclass ensured all three points for Girona, courtesy of a 4-2 victory.
Carlo Ancelotti was without Thibaut Courtois and Karim Benzema for the trip to Catalonia, and their absence was certainly felt, with regards to the former in particular.
Castellanos opened the scoring after 12 minutes, heading home from Miguel Gutierrez’s cross. He grabbed his second soon after, finishing beyond stand-in keeper Andriy Lunin after being set up by Arnau Martinez.
Vinicius Junior halved the scoreline going into half time, heading home from a Marco Asensio cross, but Castellanos’ dominance continued into the second period. He scored less than 60 seconds after the interval to complete his hat-trick, before heading home a fourth on the hour mark.
Lucas Vazquez added a late consolation for Real Madrid, who could fall 14 points behind Barcelona on Wednesday, should Xavi Hernandez’s side defeat Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish capital.
Having won their last four matches in competitions, Real Madrid’s run has come to an abrupt halt. They will hope to bounce back on Saturday, when they take on Almeria at the Santiago Bernabeu.
