Mallorca stun Real Madrid with stoppage-time winner to boost survival hopes
Real Madrid's La Liga title hopes suffered a severe blow as they fell to a dramatic 2-1 defeat against relegation-threatened Mallorca at Son Moix on Friday. Vedat Muriqi was the hero for the hosts, scoring a 92nd-minute winner to secure a crucial three points that lifts Mallorca out of the bottom three.
Manager Alvaro Arbeloa's decision to rotate his squad backfired, with Kylian Mbappe, starting from the outset, missing two clear first-half chances saved by Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Roman. The home side made Madrid pay just before the interval when Pablo Maffeo's cross found Manu Morlanes, who finished calmly past Andriy Lunin.
Arbeloa introduced Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and the returning Eder Militao in the second half in search of an equalizer. Militao, making his first appearance since November after a hamstring injury, seemed to have salvaged a point with an 88th-minute header from a Trent Alexander-Arnold corner. Yet, in stoppage time, Madrid's defence was caught out, allowing Mateo Joseph to play in Muriqi, who slammed home the decisive goal to spark wild celebrations.
The result is a monumental one in the battle at the bottom of the table. According to the league standings, Mallorca leapfrogged Elche to move to 17th place, providing a vital boost in their fight to avoid the drop. For a side that has struggled for goals, Muriqi's late strike represents a potentially season-defining moment.
For Real Madrid, the ramifications at the top are equally significant. The defeat leaves them waiting on the result of Barcelona's match against Atletico Madrid later on Friday. A win for the Catalans would extend their lead over Madrid to seven points with only seven matches remaining, a gap that would be extremely difficult to close. The loss underscores the perils of squad rotation during a tight title run-in, despite the upcoming demands of the Champions League.
The defeat also casts a shadow over what should have been a positive return for Militao. His goal marked a successful personal comeback, but the collective defensive lapse at the death rendered it meaningless. Madrid's focus must now shift quickly to their European commitments, but this result leaves their domestic ambitions hanging by a thread. Mallorca, meanwhile, will look to build on this famous victory, with Muriqi's physical presence up front likely to be central to their survival strategy in the final weeks of the campaign.
