La Liga pulls away

Alvaro Arbeloa launched a furious attack on the officials after Real Madrid were denied what he believed was a clear penalty in their 1-1 draw with Girona. The Madrid coach also addressed concerns over Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr as Los Blancos dropped more points in the title race.

The Spanish coach vented his frustration with the referees.

Mbappé was left with blood streaming down his face after the challenge.

Kylian Mbappe endured an off night as Real Madrid slumped to a 1-1 draw with Girona that may well kill off their La Liga title hopes. Federico Valverde's second-half strike was countered by a Thomas Lemar goal to see the spoils shared at the Bernabeu. Los Blancos could trail Barcelona by nine points - with seven games to go - if their bitter rivals win on Saturday.

With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly presumably disappearing into the rearview mirror, the battle for the Ballon d'Or hasn't felt so open for the best part of 20 years, with countless players now beginning each campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued with inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he was among a crowded field of contenders as the 2026 race got going.