Mbappe and Madrid Denied in Mallorca Draw

AFP/APP

Palma: Kylian Mbappe’s Real Madrid debut in La Liga ended in frustration as a determined Real Mallorca held the Spanish and European champions to a 1-1 draw in their title defense opener.

Despite an early lead from Rodrygo Goes, Real Madrid struggled to break down Mallorca’s defense. Vedat Muriqi’s header in the second half leveled the score, and Mallorca came close to securing a win late in the game. Real Madrid defender Ferland Mendy was sent off in stoppage time for a high challenge on Muriqi.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged the team’s struggles, saying, “We went ahead, had chances to score the second, and then in the second half we lacked balance. We conceded counter-attacks, it was not a good game, and it was quite clear that we need to defend better and have better balance on the pitch.”

Ancelotti fielded the same starting lineup that defeated Atalanta to win the UEFA Super Cup, with Jude Bellingham in midfield and Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Rodrygo in attack. While Mbappe had scored in the Super Cup, he was unable to find the net in his La Liga debut.

Mallorca coach Jagoba Arrasate faced a tough challenge against the reigning champions, but his team rose to the occasion and earned a valuable point. Madrid started strong, with Vinicius setting up Rodrygo for an early goal. Despite more chances and efforts from Mbappe and Rodrygo, Madrid could not extend their lead.

Mallorca equalized early in the second half with Muriqi’s powerful header from Dani Rodriguez’s corner. Despite efforts from Mbappe and Vinicius to regain the lead, Mallorca’s defense held firm. Ancelotti introduced veteran Luka Modric in search of attacking fluidity, but Madrid’s frustration was evident when Mendy was shown a straight red card for a reckless tackle.

Muriqi expressed his satisfaction with the draw, saying, “I’m so tired but it was worth it. It was so important to get a point against a team like Madrid, maybe the best in the world. Scoring against Madrid is so beautiful.”