Who: Real Madrid vs Girona What: Spanish football’s La Liga Where: Bernabeu Stadium, Madrid, Spain When: Friday, April 10, at 9pm ( ) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from in advance of our live text commentary stream. Real Madrid hosts Girona after losing back-to-back games, falling 2-1 at Mallorca in the last La Liga round before its UEFA Champions League defeat by Bayern Munich on Tuesday. The record Spanish league winners are hoping to make up ground on defending champions, Barcelona, who host struggling cross-city rivals Espanyol on Saturday.
With the return match against Bayern being played in Germany on Wednesday, Los Blancos face a season-defining five days. Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at the first of two must-win football games for Real. The title looks like it’s Barcelona’s to lose with eight games now left.
Hansi Flick’s Catalan side holds a seven-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid. Anything other than a win for Real will surely leave the title challenge in tatters. Barcelona have lost four, but have managed three more wins.
The season started promisingly for new head coach Xabi Alonso, with 13 wins in the first 14 games of the season. The run of two wins in eight that followed jeopardised the former Real midfielder’s position. Despite a run of five wins thereafter, the Super Copa defeat by rivals Barca led to Alonso’s departure.
Real Madrid’s interim head coach, Arbeloa, was shocked in his first game in charge with a 3-2 defeat at second-tier Albacete in the Copa del Rey, but a run of 13 wins in 16 followed. The back-to-back defeats in the last two games, however, threaten to derail that run. Girona spent most of the first half of the season in the relegation zone, but has improved in 2026.
It is in 12th place after losing just three of its last 13 games, a run that included a 2-1 victory over Barcelona in February. STANDINGS | Here's how the #LALIGAEASPORTS table looks after Matchday 30. pic.twitter.com/4U2hICOtsv — LALIGA English (@LaLigaEN) April 6, 2026 Harry Kane delivered for Bayern Munich on his return from injury, scoring a goal and helping set up another in his team’s 2-1 win at Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday. Kylian Mbappe scored Madrid’s goal after the visitors had taken a two-goal lead at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
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