Reigning Spanish champions Real Madrid kicked off their La Liga title defense with a clash against RCD Mallorca at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix on Sunday night, August 18. As expected, Mallorca sat deep for the majority of the game, frustrating Los Blancos’ world-class attackers. The plan worked wonders, as Mallorca clinched a point from the game, holding the heavyweights to a 1-1 draw.
A Frustrating Night For Real Madrid
Fresh from their UEFA Super Cup win over Atalanta, Real Madrid approached the game with confidence. Their movement was sharp, they combined well, and they did not hesitate to run at the opposition. Minutes after La Liga debutant Kylian Mbappe saw a penalty appeal waved on, Real Madrid hit Mallorca on the break. Latching onto a delightful backheel from Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo cut in from the left, opened up a bit of room, and took aim at the goal. The ball obediently curled inward to nestle into the back of the net, giving Real Madrid a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute.
Mallorca turned the screws toward the end of the first half. After Daniel Rodriguez failed to test Thibaut Courtois with his header in the 38th minute, Vedat Muriqi came agonizingly close to dispatching a thunderbolt from the box in the 42nd minute. Luckily for the visitors, Antonio Rudiger read the danger and emphatically volleyed the ball behind for a corner. Real Madrid got away with the corner, but their luck ran out in the 53rd minute, as Muriqi converted from Rodriguez’s impeccable corner kick delivery. The center-forward’s thumping header from close range gave Courtois no chance whatsoever.
Things went from bad to worse for Los Blancos in the seventh minute of added time, when Ferland Mendy deservedly saw a red card for a terrible tackle on Muriqi. The left-back caught the striker on his calf with his studs out. The referee, who saw the incident from close range, presented a straight red to the Frenchman, ruling him out for multiple games. Los Merengues did not risk pushing for the winner for the following couple of minutes and settled for a 1-1 draw.
How Did Kylian Mbappe Perform on His La Liga Debut?
All eyes were on Real Madrid’s newest Galactico Kylian Mbappe as Real Madrid began their 2024-25 La Liga journey with a trip to RCD Mallorca. The former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward, who had scored last week as Los Blancos won the UEFA Super Cup, tried to make a difference. However, it did not all go according to plan. Mallorca marked him tightly, not allowing him to run at the defense.
The 25-year-old had two shots on target, completed 25 passes (81% accuracy), pulled off three dribbles, and played three passes into the final third. While his overall gameplay was fine, he did not come through on the creative front, failing to create even a single chance throughout the game. Carlo Ancelotti will need his jet-heeled forward to take a more active role, especially against defensive sides, going forward.
