“Girona could’ve won that game 7-2” - Toni Kroos explains ‘double’ delight of Real Madrid winning La Liga after Barcelona loss
Toni Kroos has revealed how happy Real Madrid players were after they won the La Liga title following Barcelona's 4-2 loss at Girona last weekend. Los Blancos beat Cadiz 3-0 at home but needed a loss for Barca to confirm their La Liga triumph.
It was a truly remarkable game at the Estadi Montilivi, where Girona shocked the Blagurana with a second-half comeback that sealed their win. An early goal from Andreas Christensen gave Barca the lead. Although Artem Dovbyk equalised a minute later, Robert Lewandowski's penalty put the visitors ahead at the break,
It looked as though Barcelona would secure all three points and delay Los Blancos' celebrations. However, it was not to be, as a poor back pass from Sergi Roberto saw Portu equalise for Girona. Two minutes later, Miguel Gutierrez put Girona into the lead before Portu scored again to confirm the win.
With Barcelona's defeat, Real Madrid secured the La Liga title, while Girona sealed a seat in the UEFA Champions League. Madrid legend Toni Kroos talked about just how pleasing it was for Barca's loss to confirm their title win, calling it a "double victory" (via Barca Universal):
"We became La Liga champions because of Barca's defeat against Girona, so it was a double victory for us!"
He added:
"We got together to watch Barca vs Girona match. ... It was pretty crazy because Girona could have won that game 7-2. We celebrated, not a lot, but we celebrated."
Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona set to conclude their respective campaigns
Real Madrid and Barcelona look set to end the season contrastingly. Their unsuccessful title defence means Barca will end the campaign trophyless, while Los Blancos could end the season with three titles.
Real Madrid have outdone Barcelona domestically and in Europe, with the capital club also reaching the UEFA Champions League final. Los Blancos look set to lift a league and European double, having also won the Supercopa Espana.
Barcelona will however be bolstered by the fact that club legend Xavi Hernandez will remain at the helm beyond the summer despite his earlier announcement that he would leave. Los Blancos, meanwhile, will look forward to more domestic and continental glory under legendary Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti.