“Girona finds themselves missing the mastermind behind their achievements as they prepare to face Real Madrid in a crucial match at the summit. Michel Sanchez, potentially returning to his hometown, was ejected by referee Jesus Gil Manzano in the dying moments of Saturday’s game for protesting a foul that went unnoticed by the officials.

“After Girona suffered from a controversial VAR decision that disallowed their goal against Real Sociedad, their match ended in costly setbacks. Yangel Herrera received his fifth yellow card in the final moments, while Daley Blind also received a booking after the game for conversing with the referee. Both players will be absent for the upcoming clash against Real Madrid on Saturday, with Girona trailing just two points behind Los Blancos.

Additionally, manager Michel will serve a two-game suspension following his expulsion, causing him to miss their subsequent fixture against Athletic Club at San Mamés, as reported by Sport. Michel was ejected for persistent protests over an uncalled foul, deemed to have occurred repeatedly and from outside his technical area.

The atmosphere at Montilivi was filled with frustration, as chants of ‘Like this, like this, like this, Real Madrid wins’ echoed around. Michel expressed his bewilderment at several decisions, labeling the disallowed goal as a ‘VAR mistake’. Regarding his own dismissal, he maintained that his protests were not intended as disrespect towards anyone. On a brighter note, there’s optimism surrounding Artem Dovbyk’s potential return for the Real Madrid encounter.