Girona keep Liga lead, Madrid and Barca win

Artem Dovbyk struck a hat-trick inside seven minutes as minnows Girona powered back to the top of La Liga with a thumping 5-1 win over Sevilla on Sunday.

After Real Madrid scraped a controversial 3-2 win over bottom side Almeria and a treble by Ferran Torres helped Barca win 4-2 at Real Betis, Girona demonstrated their title credentials.

The Catalan club, in the top flight for only the fourth season in their history, are shock challengers for the Spanish title and lead second-place Madrid by a point, having played one extra game.

Madrid’s victory over winless Almeria, which took them temporarily top before Girona played, was steeped in drama and controversy.

Dani Carvajal rammed home the winner in the 99th minute to settle a wild and hugely entertaining clash at the Santiago Bernabeu where Madrid had trailed 2-0.

Almeria took a two-goal lead through Largie Ramazani’s 38th minute strike and a screamer from Edgar Gonzalez.

Madrid battled back to triumph as Jude Bellingham converted a penalty and Vinicius Junior used his upper arm to divert home an equaliser, before Carvajal’s lastgasp winner.

Madrid had three key VAR adjudications go in their favour, including Vinicius’ goal which Almeria considered handball, a goal of their own ruled out and a penalty given to Madrid.

“(We leave) with the feeling we’ve been robbed,” complained Almeria midfielder Gonzalo Melero.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti disagreed.

“I understand Almeria’s anger with the VAR decisions, but I think they were well judged,” Ancelotti told reporters.

- ‘Tired team’ - Madrid won the Spanish Super Cup last Sunday by thrashing Barcelona in Saudi Arabia and then lost 4-2 against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey in midweek.

Madrid came roaring back after that, with Bellingham at the heart of it, La Liga’s joint top scorer with Dovbyk firing home from the spot for his 14th goal of the campaign.