Real Madrid failed to win their opening LaLiga match against Mallorca, how will Carlo Ancelotti find the right chemistry in his team full of stars?
— It’s the 36th minute at the Son Moix Stadium, and Real Madrid — already 1-0 up, away from home, on their LaLiga debut for the 2024-25 season — were enjoying themselves. Camped inside the Mallorca box, the Spanish champions, one of the most exciting attacking line-ups assembled in recent memory, wanted to show what they could do.
Kylian Mbappé backheeled a pass to Jude Bellingham. He turned, laying the ball off to Vinícius Júnior. Another backheel, this time from the Brazilian, was for Rodrygo, who played it outside to Federico Valverde. His cutback found Bellingham, whose disguised pass played Vinícius in behind the defence. It was time for the final, killer pass, and Vinicus’ scooped cross was destined for Mbappé’s head, waiting inside the six-yard box for what would have been a straightforward goal.
It was all denied after Mallorca goalkeeper Dominik Greif got a crucial touch. The ball didn’t reach Mbappé. It was a move that summed up the promise and potential of this Real Madrid team. So much talent, creativity and improvisation, so many stars combining, having fun, and working together to carve open the opposition. But there was no goal at the end of it. And Madrid were still only 1-0 up.
20 minutes later, Mallorca were level, and there was a refreshing, old-fashioned simplicity about their equalizer. It might not have had the finesse of that Madrid passing move — Dani Rodríguez’s corner was met with a bullet header from battering ram centre-forward Vedat Muriqi — but it was ultimately more effective. And it was the last goal of the match, which ended 1-1, champions Madrid frustrated, dropping two points on the opening weekend of the LaLiga season.
Speaking on the pitch, seconds after the final whistle, Muriqi talked about that moment.
« I have to be honest.
