Real Madrid stars crash to earth in dull draw at Mallorca

RCD Mallorca vs Real Madrid - Mallorca Son Moix Stadium, Palma de Mallorca, Spain - August 18, 2024 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe in action with RCD Mallorca's Manu Morlanes REUTERS/Nacho Doc
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MADRID – Real Madrid’s LaLiga title defense got off to a shaky start as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Mallorca on Sunday. Vedat Muriqi’s second-half header canceled out an early strike from Rodrygo, spoiling Kylian Mbappé’s much-anticipated debut for the “New Galacticos.”

The star-studded lineup featuring Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Vinícius Jr. struggled to find their rhythm at the raucous Son Moix stadium, where a disciplined Mallorca side frustrated the visitors.

Real Madrid initially looked promising when Brazilian forward Rodrygo opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a curling shot, following a clever back-heeled pass from Vinícius Jr. However, the team quickly ran into difficulties, dominating possession but failing to create meaningful chances.

With Mbappé and Bellingham failing to make an impact, Vinícius was left as Real’s primary attacking threat, but he became increasingly frustrated by Mallorca’s resolute defense. The Brazilian also faced taunting from the home fans, adding to the tension on the pitch. The Son Moix stadium had previously been a hostile environment for Vinícius, who was racially abused by local supporters during a match there in February 2023.

Despite his efforts, Vinícius had several heated exchanges with opponents and was eventually reprimanded by the referee after provocatively staring into the stands, daring the fans to continue their taunts.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made three crucial saves to preserve his team’s lead, but he was unable to stop Muriqi’s powerful header from a corner in the 53rd minute, which leveled the match for Mallorca.

Real’s frustrations only grew from there, as they managed to create just two real chances, both involving Mbappé sprinting down the left wing. However, his attempts were thwarted by Mallorca’s inspired goalkeeper Dominik Greif.

To add to Real Madrid’s woes, the team finished the match with 10 men after defender Ferland Mendy was shown a straight red card for a sliding tackle in stoppage time.

The draw came just one day after Barcelona fought back to secure a 2-1 win at Valencia, despite missing several key players. Real Madrid’s lackluster performance suggests that integrating Mbappé into the squad may require more work than initially expected.

Source: Reuters