Defending champions Barcelona have been disappointing since the start of La Liga this season, making Real Madrid the favourites to watch the title. However, the rise of the strong dark horse Girona has made the La Liga title race suspenseful again. By the end of the first seventeen rounds, Girona topped the standings with 14 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss, followed by Real Madrid. In this round of matches, Girona and Real Madrid ushered in the final battle in 23 years, and which team can welcome the New Year as the leader of La Liga has become the topic of most concern for fans. Girona, who started the game, were held to a 1-1 draw by former Real Madrid boss Manuel Pellegrini's Real Betis at the back of a stubborn resistance at Real Betis, who came on in the game. Real Madrid, who came on next, defeated Alaves 1-0 with Vazquez's stunning goal in the case of 10 men, surpassing Girona to top the La Liga standings. However, a last-minute injury to Rodrigo caused the Galactic to suffer another blow.
Girona have won four in a row this season, including a big away win over Barcelona. However, in the year's finale, they travelled to take on Real Betis. After the start of the match, Girona and Real Betis, who were fighting for European qualification, launched a fierce attacking battle. While Real Betis have been stronger on home advantage, Girona have been significantly more efficient. In the first half, Girona drew a foul in the opposition box and won a penalty, which Dovbik easily deceived the Betis goalkeeper to give his side a 1-0 lead. Unwilling to lose at home, Real Betis launched a frantic comeback after the restart of the game and scored in the final moments. In the 88th minute, Real Betis took advantage of a corner kick opportunity to create chaos in the Girona penalty area. Despite having his first shot blocked, Pezzella's scramble from inside the box secured a point for Real Betis to a 1-1 draw with Girona.
It also provides an opportunity for Real Madrid, who are also facing the final game of the year, to regain the top spot in La Liga. However, Galacticos only need to win in this round to regain the top spot in La Liga, but injuries to a number of key players have left Real Madrid helpless against Alaves' bucket formation. At the start of the second half, Nacho's defence appeared to be a bit rushed, which eventually led to him being fined a red card from the referee, which put Real Madrid in a situation where they were 10 men. But the Galactic Battleships were clearly not going to settle for a draw, so they erupted in a frenzied offensive in the final moments of the game. In the 92nd minute of stoppage time, Vazquez took advantage of a corner kick opportunity, carefully organized the attack and scored the winning goal, helping Real Madrid beat Alaves 1-0 and successfully regained the top spot in the league. However, before the end of the game, the Galaxy Battleship was hit hard again, and Mr. Rodrigo left the stadium due to injury, which made the cheers of the Real Madrid fans slightly suppressed.
Considering that they only marginally outtook Girona on goal difference after this round, the uncertainty of the future will increase if the team continues to be plagued by injuries in the second half.