Analysis: Girona

Girona set up in a 4-3-3 in possession. David Timor sat at the base of the midfield triangle, with Pere Pons and Alex Granell just ahead of him. Portu and Borja Garcia supported lone forward Anthony Lozano in attack.

Their main objective was to try to play in behind Real Madrid’s back line early to meet the runs of Lozano, but they were equally happy to play directly to the striker in the air to trouble centre-back Nacho. If there wasn’t an opportunity to play in behind early, they were content to retain the ball and build from deep. Against Real’s aggressive man-oriented press, however, this proved difficult; it often ended in inaccurate passes and errors that turned possession over.

The hosts favoured attacking Real’s left side, possibly in the hope of exploiting the space left by the attack-minded Marcelo, and they did create occasional chances through this. But as the game progressed, their opponents took increasing control of the ball and they struggled to create anything of note.

Girona would typically press in a 4-4-2 out of possession, usually with Garcia and Lozano leading the line. When Los Blancos built on the right-hand side, Garcia would show Nacho or right-back Dani Carvajal towards the touchline by pressing the inside shoulder of the ball-carrier. Lozano, meanwhile, would position himself to discourage the ball inside, effectively trying to trap Real where they could apply more intense pressure.

Their block was reasonably organised and caused Real several problems in their build within the opening 15 minutes of the match. Julen Lopetegui reacted by altering the shape of his team, with Isco becoming more involved in deeper areas. Girona naturally fatigued and struggled to close the gaps as the game progressed – allowing far too many passes into more dangerous players. Real’s attacks began to flow, and with that came goals. As such, there can be few complaints over the final result.