Real Madrid kept the title race in La Liga alive by pulling off a dramatic come from behind 2-1 victory to beat Mallorca in the extra time. Madrid dominated the game in terms of possession and chances created but they surprisingly fell behind by Valjent’s goal in the 11th minute of the game. The brilliant individual goal to equalise Mbappé had in the 68th; minute was his 40th goal for the season. Nevertheless, the decisive phase in the game was in the last part of the game: the 97th minute, to be exact. Young defender J. Ramón was able to get his first ever goal for the club at the end, after a whole pile-up in the box in the last moments of the game, thus clinching the victory.
Mallorca’s Missed Opportunities And Defensive Grit
Mallorca started well in the first half thanks to Valjent’s goal and a determined defensive performance from Mallorca’s players especially the goalkeeper Roman. Nevertheless, their failure to hold possession and continuous fouling pressurised. They had three yellow cards and found it difficult to generate valuable chance-creation other than their opener in the first half. Although, Levante got a brave goal-line clearance from Valjent but still they did yield under the sustained attack of Madrid.
What Mallorca Could Have Done To Win
To get a win, Mallorca had to maintain its composure and provide greater threat on the counter. Substitutions were mostly defensive and had no attacking intent, hence they could not relieve pressure and hold the ball. The addition of further creative or forward thinkers earlier could have assisted to exploit Real’s defensive weaknesses, in particular with the late charges of Courtois. Madrid’s momentum could have been killed by a more aggressive press or better ball retention and avoided the late heartbreak.
Also Read: La Liga: Barcelona Vs Real Madrid Match Preview, Probable Line-up, And All You Need To Know
