Taty Castellanos enjoyed a "dream night" as the striker bagged all four Girona goals in a famous 4-2 win over Real Madrid to all but end the Spanish champions' hopes of retaining their La Liga crown.
Defeat leaves Real Madrid 11 points behind Barcelona having played a game more.
Castellanos was left in tears after missing a big chance against Barcelona earlier in April as Girona drew, but made amends in spectacular fashion at Montilivi against Madrid.
The Argentine, on loan at Girona from MLS side New York City FC – both clubs are part of the City Football Group – exposed some amateur defending by Real Madrid on a night that will live long in the memory.
Castellanos shut down his social media accounts after his bad night in front of goal at Camp Nou, but thanked those close to him for their support.
"It was a dream night, we had a great game against one of the best teams in the world," Castellanos said.
"I never imagined this, enjoying it with our fans, with the people who have sent me support – my family, people in Argentina, they are always supporting me and that's fundamental."
Castellanos now has 11 goals in La Liga this season in 29 appearances. It was the 24-year-old's second four-goal haul of his career having also scored a quadruple against Real Salt Lake for New York City FC in April 2022.
"Obviously they are different days, it was a dream to score against Madrid and to score four – you can't even imagine it," he added. "I'm very happy for everything, for the fans, for the lads."
It was yet another damaging defeat for Real Madrid and hardly ideal preparation for next month's Champions League semi-final double-header against Manchester City.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti was hampered by striker Karim Benzema taking a knock in the win over Celta Vigo at the weekend, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois did not travel because of a stomach problem among other absentees.
"A tough night, yes, when you lose a game like that it's a tough night," said the Italian. "On a defensive level it was a bad game, and that was the key to the match ... the individual level was lower than normal too.
"Everybody's was, not just some people. The level was very low, because the defensive aspect, which was very good in recent games, today, we have forgotten."
Former Madrid defender Miguel Gutierrez set up the opening goal with a cross for Castellanos, which he headed home from six yards out after 12 minutes.
Rodrygo might have equalised for Madrid but badly mishit his shot after the electric Vinicius Junior set him up following a mazy dribble.
Castellanos doubled Girona's lead after 24 minutes when he got in behind Eder Militao and blasted through Andriy Lunin's legs.
Vinicius pulled one back for Real Madrid with a header from Marco Asensio's fine inswinging cross, giving them hope of a second half comeback.
However, Castellanos netted his third just 36 seconds after the interval after a fine run and cross from Yan Couto.
The striker pounced again after 62 minutes, again capitalising on a Militao mistake to net his and Girona's fourth.
Lucas Vazquez pulled another back for Madrid late on after more good work by Vinicius, but it was too little, too late.
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Section 375
Cast: Akshaye Khanna, Richa Chadha, Meera Chopra & Rahul Bhat
Director: Ajay Bahl
Producers: Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak & SCIPL
Rating: 3.5/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The Penguin
Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz
Creator: Lauren LeFranc
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic HSE
Price, base / as tested: Dh263,235 / Dh420,000
Engine: 3.0-litre supercharged V6
Power 375hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque: 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.4L / 100kms
Mumbai Indians 213/6 (20 ov)
Royal Challengers Bangalore 167/8 (20 ov)
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The years Ramadan fell in May
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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Coal Black Mornings
Brett Anderson
Little Brown Book Group
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
