Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso refused to be critical of his players following another lacklustre performance from the capital giants on Sunday night.
Los Blancos entered the clash with Girona knowing that they needed to win to return to the top of the La Liga table ahead of Barcelona, but the capital side were held to a 1-1 draw by the Catalan side, who have struggled during the 2025-26 campaign.
Azzedine Ounahi sent Girona ahead just before the half-time interval, before a Kylian Mbappe penalty in the second period levelled the scores.
Real Madrid were unable to find a second, though, so they remain second in the division, one point behind the leaders Barcelona.
Los Blancos are next in action on Wednesday night away to Athletic Bilbao, while Barcelona will host fourth-placed Atletico Madrid on Tuesday, so it is set to be a very important gameweek in Spain's top flight.
© Imago / Pressinphoto
Girona 1-1 Real Madrid: Alonso refuses to be critical of Los Blancos players despite disappointing result
"I think there was an improvement, especially in the second half. We pushed harder and created more chances," Alonso told reporters in his post-match press conference, with Real Madrid now drawing their last three in La Liga.
"We lacked a bit of accuracy with the chances we had to take all three points. But we're still in it, it's all very close. It's a long season and we have to keep going.
"There are different phases in a season. There were phases, especially at the beginning, when we were consistently away from home.
"In these last few games, there have been phases where the second half was much better than the first, and we were able to come back.
"The team had the desire to turn the 1-0 deficit around. We had three or four clear chances inside the area to score the second goal and win. We have to continue with the high standards required to play for Real Madrid. It's a long season.
© Imago / ZUMA Press Wire
Alonso pleased with reaction of Real Madrid players against Girona
"No complaints because I liked the reaction. It wasn't enough to turn it around, but we were close. We have to continue with the unity we have, with the necessary self-criticism and with the desire to win away from home. We have the opportunity on Wednesday in Bilbao and we'll see.
“We needed to play more minutes of good football: attacking football and being dominant. We did that much more in the second half and that's what we want.
"Why we didn't do it is something we need to analyse so that we can try to do it from the start. Or even if we do it in the first half, we need to keep it up in the second.
“It's an opportunity to win away from home again. The points are what they are, we're still there. This is going to be a long season and the table is going to be very tight.
"There will still be a lot of ups and downs. We're playing for three points, but it is a good time to win in Bilbao. We need it and we want it. After today, we'll look at how we can do better."
Mbappe's glorious campaign continued against Girona, with the Frenchman now on 23 goals for the 2025-26 season, including a record of 14 in 14 league matches.