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Los Blancos failed to keep pace with Barcelona in the early title race, as they were held to draw by Mallorca.
A gutsy Mallorca side held star-studded Real Madrid to a 1-1 draw to deny Los Blancos a dream start to their title defence.
With the addition of Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid were billed to stroll to another LALIGA title. They might well go on to do that, but Mallorca ensured they would not be counting Son Moix as one of their conquered grounds this season.
Key match details
Mallorca started brilliantly, but Real Madrid soon wrestled control and threatened to blow Mallorca away with the superior talent cast when Rodrygo scored in the 13th minute. The Brazil international was set up by his compatriot Vinicius Jr, and he finished cleanly.
After the goal, however, Mallorca coped with Real Madrid's offensive threat admirably, keeping them away from their goal area.
They also made sure to work Madrid's defenders, hitting them on the counterattack. Mallorca had decent opportunities to score in the first-half, but they failed to capitalise on the chances they fashioned.
While Mallorca started the game like a house on fire, it was the visitors who came out raging at the start of the second-half.
However, as Real Madrid's search for the second goal went on, Mallorca grew confident, and their approach in the second-half showed it. They shocked Carlo Ancelotti’s side in the 53rd minute when Verdat Muriqi got the ball past Thibaut Courtois.
Real Madrid threw the kitchen sink in an attempt to restore the lead, and their ultra-offensive approach left swathes of space behind their defence, which meant Mallorca looked threatening each time they managed to surge forward.
The game maintained this state for the rest of the encounter, and Mallorca became the first team to avoid defeat to Real Madrid in the opening game of a LALIGA season since 2020/21.
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