Real Madrid suffer shock defeat to Mallorca in La Liga setback
Real Madrid's La Liga title hopes suffered a significant blow on Saturday with a last-gasp 2-1 defeat away to relegation-threatened Mallorca. The loss at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, sealed by a 91st-minute winner from former Lazio forward Muriqi, leaves Carlo Ancelotti's side trailing leaders Barcelona. Manu Morlanes had given the hosts a first-half lead before Éder Militão's 88th-minute header appeared to have salvaged a point for the visitors.
According to match reports from Spain, Madrid's defense was culpable for both goals conceded, with Morlanes allowed to arrive unchecked into the box for the opener and the back line poorly positioned for the late winner. Ancelotti had made several second-half changes, introducing Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, Militão, and Franco Mastantuno in search of a response. Despite Militão's late equalizer from a corner, Madrid could not see out the game and fell to a defeat that punctures the momentum from their recent three-match winning streak.
The result is a major boost for Mallorca, who climb to 17th place, just outside the relegation zone, under manager Javier Aguirre. For a Madrid side that had been steadily applying pressure at the top, failing to defeat a team in the bottom three represents a costly stumble at a critical juncture of the season. The defensive lapses will be a particular concern for Ancelotti as his team prepares for upcoming Champions League commitments.
In other La Liga action, Real Sociedad returned to winning ways with a 2-0 home victory over Levante. Jon Martín opened the scoring with a header on the half-hour mark, and Brais Méndez sealed the points late on. The win temporarily lifts Sociedad into sixth place, level on points with Celta Vigo, who play on Sunday. For Levante, anchored in the penultimate position, the defeat deepens their relegation worries.
The weekend's results have tightened the battle for European qualification in the middle of the table while intensifying the fight for survival at the bottom. Madrid's defeat shifts the pressure back onto them to respond immediately, with the margin for error in the title race now virtually eliminated. The focus turns to how Ancelotti's squad regroups from this unexpected setback against a team they were heavily favored to beat.
