Mallorca secured a stunning 2-1 victory over Real Madrid at Son Moix, inflicting a significant blow to Los Blancos’ La Liga title aspirations.
Manager Alvaro Arbeloa opted for several squad rotations for the away fixture in Palma, notably benching Vinicius Junior. Despite the changes, Real Madrid squandered two clear opportunities in the first half, with Mallorca’s goalkeeper Leo Roman making superb saves to thwart Kylian Mbappe, who was making a return to action.
Those missed chances proved costly for Real Madrid and Mbappe. Mallorca capitalized just before the break, as Pablo Maffeo delivered a precise cross for Manu Morlanes, who calmly slotted the ball past Andriy Lunin to open the scoring.
The score remained 1-0 at halftime, likely prompting a stern team talk from Arbeloa to inspire a turnaround. However, Real Madrid’s performance showed little improvement in the initial 15 minutes of the second half, leading to the strategic introductions of Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, and the returning Eder Militao.
Militao marked his return in the 88th minute, powerfully heading in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner to equalize for Real Madrid. It was a significant personal moment for the defender, who had been sidelined since November with a torn hamstring. Yet, his effort was ultimately in vain. Mallorca dramatically secured the winner in stoppage time when a disoriented Real Madrid defense allowed Mateo Joseph to set up Vedat Muriqi, who unleashed a powerful shot from inside the box, igniting wild celebrations at Son Moix.
Real Madrid’s La Liga Title Hopes in Jeopardy
This victory is monumental for Mallorca, propelling them past Elche and out of the relegation zone. Conversely, for Real Madrid, this defeat could see them fall seven points adrift of Barcelona in the La Liga title race, should the Catalan giants overcome Atletico Madrid later today.
