Barcelona maintained their lead over Real Madrid in the LaLiga standings with a hard-fought 2-0 win over a Villarreal side that proved to be a tough nut to crack, despite going down to 10 men for most of the game.
Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso bemoaned their accuracy in front of goals in the 1-1 draw against Girona at Montilivi on Sunday.
Real Madrid and Girona both played their part in a dramatic La Liga weekend that also saw Villarreal surge, Betis silence Sevilla and Espanyol snatch a late winner.
Barcelona star Ronaldo Araujo says he did not hesitate at all when head coach Hansi Flick asked him to play striker late on against Girona.
Real Madrid turned things around after a poor first half to beat Villarreal 3-1 in LaLiga on Saturday to move top of the league table.
Girona coach Michel Sanchez will be absent from the touchline for Saturday's vital LaLiga fixture against Villarreal after being hospitalised due to an undisclosed health issue, the club confirmed.