Luka Modric produced a moment of brilliance as Real Madrid ended a three-game winless streak with a 2-0 victory over a determined Girona side, moving them to second in La Liga on goal difference behind leaders Barcelona. Atletico Madrid sit third, just a point behind.
With Jude Bellingham absent after his red card against Osasuna, Modric stepped up in style, chesting down the ball and unleashing a sensational 25-yard half-volley past Girona keeper Paulo Gazzaniga to open the scoring.
Real Madrid sealed the win late in the second half when Vinicius Junior calmly slotted home after being set up by Kylian Mbappe in the 83rd minute.
Earlier in the match, Girona threatened through Donny van de Beek, who forced a superb one-handed save from Thibaut Courtois after a clever flick from Arnaut Danjuma. Lucas Vazquez came close for Madrid with a powerful shot that narrowly missed the target.
Girona had a golden chance to equalize in the 56th minute, but Danjuma’s effort curled wide of Courtois’ near post. Shortly after, Vinicius rattled the crossbar with a thunderous strike before finally securing the win with his composed finish.
The game also marked the return of David Alaba, who made his first start in 434 days following recovery from an ACL injury.
Next, Real Madrid will shift focus to the Copa del Rey semi-finals as they travel to San Sebastian on Wednesday to face Real Sociedad.