Defeat against Real Madrid in the Spanish Championships

Girona U18 Basketball has a great first half against one of the best state teams and fights until the end despite the defeat

Base | Wednesday, 29 April 2026

Defeat against one of the most difficult rivals of this Spanish Championship, Real Madrid. Bàsquet Girona did not start as well as in previous matches, but, despite playing against a physically much superior team that came out very intense in defense, at the end of the first quarter —and after a few nervous first minutes— the team settled down both in defense and attack. The first quarter score was Real Madrid 16 – 8 Bàsquet Girona.

The second quarter was much more even: the Girona team took a step forward and were more successful, especially in attack, finding better shooting options. In defense, they also improved their performance, managing to partially slow down the opponent’s pace and reduce the mistakes in the first minutes. Despite the intensity of Real Madrid, Bàsquet Girona was able to compete head-to-head during this period and, midway through the quarter, was only five points behind (25 – 20).

The quarter ended in a 14-1 draw, allowing the Girona team to stay in the game and reach the half with options. Thus, the score at halftime was Real Madrid 30 – 22 Bàsquet Girona, leaving everything open for the second half.

The third quarter was dominated by a very successful Real Madrid, with a defensive proposal of great intensity that left very little room for the game that the team coached by Xavi Rosselló wanted to deploy. A 17 – 3 run in the first four minutes of the period, thanks to the success of the three-point shot, clearly marked the development of the fourth. At the end of the period, the Girona team’s disadvantage was 37 points (67 – 30).

In the last quarter, Bàsquet Girona continued to work to show its identity of play, both in defense and attack, and the team spared no effort. At the end of the match, the result was Real Madrid 91-37 Bàsquet Girona

Statements from the Girona Basketball coach, Xavi Rosselló: The game started with nerves and inaccuracies, with a lot of respect for the opponent we had in front of us. As we started to connect some good actions, we gained more confidence and felt more comfortable. We had a very good second quarter and we reached the break below 10 points. In the second half it was much more difficult and, as the minutes went by, we ran out of gas and they broke the game because they raised their defensive level and were accurate in their shots. I am very happy with the effort and sacrifice; the team fought as best we could. We managed to compete at a good level at times and close the match with the peace of mind of having done everything in our hands.