Real Madrid failed to regain top spot in LaLiga after being held to a third successive draw by struggling Girona.

Xabi Alonso's side needed a 67th-minute Kylian Mbappé penalty to make it 1-1 after Azzedine Ounahi scored the hosts' first goal against Real since April 2023.

Madrid had begun the weekend a point ahead of Barcelona, but finished it a point behind with their dip in form leaving them with just one win from five matches in all competitions.

They struggled to create clear-cut chances and Ounahi's goal on the stroke of half-time punished them.

Centre-back Éder Militão, returning after missing two matches with injury, stood off the midfielder allowing him to confidently sweep home Viktor Tsygankov's pass from 14 yards.

Minutes earlier the midfielder had gone close with a shot from distance, with Bryan Gil close to opening the scoring moments before Ounahi eventually struck.

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Even Mbappé, who is in hot goalscoring form this season, had to rely on a perfectly-placed penalty for his 28th in 23 games for club and country as Paulo Gazzaniga guessed the right way after Hugo Rincón had fouled Vinícius Júnior.

Third-bottom Girona, with just two wins all season, had lost their last four matches to Madrid with an aggregate of 12-0 and the pattern of play early in the first half suggested that run may continue.

But the visitors failed to press home their advantage with Mbappé, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Vinícius all wastefully off target as they dominated without threatening.

Militao did manage to get his header on target but it was was saved by Gazzaniga before Mbappé had a goal ruled out for handball.

The Frenchman had wriggled through a crowd of players having collected Federico Valverde's return pass but VAR ruled that escape was with the help of his arm.

Militao's threat at set-pieces began to grow as he went close with two headers early in the second half, with the forwards still struggling with their radar as Tchouameni and Vinicius again failed to hit the target.

But having equalised they were unsuccessful in pushing for the winner with Jude Bellingham heading wide and Vinicius finally forcing a save out of Gazzaniga with 11 minutes to go.