Ronaldo faces punishment for slapping Girona player in the face

Real's superstar appeared to have played dirty when he was closely followed in the 1-2 defeat in round 10 of La Liga against Girona.

The incident occurred in a set piece situation, Cristiano Ronaldo was pressed down by defensive midfielder Pere Pons in the penalty area. Due to his shorter height, Pons lowered his center of gravity, raised his elbow and pressed it against Ronaldo's chest. Real's top scorer was frustrated, used the palm of his right hand to press on Ronaldo's head, causing the home player to fall to the ground.

The referee did not see the incident, but the Spanish Football Federation's Disciplinary Committee will likely look into the incident and impose a disciplinary penalty on Ronaldo. Earlier this season, Ronaldo was suspended for five matches for pushing the referee after receiving a red card, so any action he takes will be viewed more severely.

The 32-year-old star failed to score in the match in Catalonia, although his shot contributed to Isco's opener. In the second half, Girona rallied and scored twice, ending the comeback with the most surprising victory of the round. This match Ronaldo was under pressure from the stands as fans chanted: "Messi, Messi" every time he got the ball.

Ronaldo's foul play. Screenshot.

Ronaldo has not been in great form domestically this season, after returning from suspension. He has scored just one goal in La Liga from 40 shots, a 2.5% efficiency rate - the lowest among players who have scored in Europe's top five leagues.

Losing their first meeting with Girona means Real are eight points behind Barca. The Royals have never won La Liga by that many points. The defeat also ends their 13-game winning streak away from home in La Liga – still a league record.

According to VNE