Mallorca 1-1 Real Madrid: Los Blancos begin title defence with draw against Mallorca

Although Real Madrid extended their unbeaten streak across all competitions to 28 matches, they were unable to commence the 2024/25 LaLiga season with a victory, settling for a 1-1 draw against RCD Mallorca at the Estadi Mallorca San Moix.

As August unfolds, Real Madrid has already secured one trophy this season. They delivered an impressive performance in the second half to overcome Atalanta BC in the UEFA Super Cup, with the notable summer acquisition Kylian Mbappe scoring his inaugural goal for the club.

It was expected that the French forward would be included in the starting eleven against Mallorca, as Carlo Ancelotti’s squad aimed to initiate their LaLiga title defense on a positive note.

However, their opponents, who were finalists in last season's Copa Del Rey, had a strong pre-season and started the match with vigor. Samu Costa created an early threat, sending a shot wide before forcing a significant save from Thibaut Courtois.

Real Madrid, however, are typically composed under pressure, and they managed to take the lead before the 15-minute mark. Vinicius Junior provided a clever backheel pass to Rodrygo, who, despite having much to accomplish, executed a beautifully curled shot that found the net past Dominik Greif.

Madrid sought to increase their lead, with Mbappé narrowly missing the target by hitting the side netting midway through the first half. However, a mistake from Courtois nearly proved costly just before halftime. A cross-cum-shot from Takuma Asano seemed harmless, but the Belgian goalkeeper could only deflect it into the path of Vedat Muriqi, requiring him to react quickly to deny the follow-up attempt.

Shortly after the second half began, Muriqi was determined to make an impact, delivering a powerful header into the net from a corner taken by Dani Rodriguez, thus equalizing the score.

Utilizing Muriqi’s heading ability appeared to be Mallorca’s most promising strategy for achieving an unexpected victory, as the Kosovo international once again tested Courtois with another header just minutes later.

However, the goalkeeper rose to the challenge. The initial hour had been relatively uneventful for Mbappe, yet he requires only a few opportunities to make a significant impact. Had Greif not successfully saved his low shot from distance, Mbappe might have once again put his team in the lead.

The former Paris Saint-Germain player seemed to be regaining his form, prompting Greif to thwart another of his attempts.

The visiting team continued to advance, but aside from a shot from Luka Modric that Greif managed to deflect, they struggled to generate any substantial chances. In contrast, Antonio Sanchez squandered the best opportunities in the final moments, missing the target on two occasions when he should have scored.

Although no decisive goal was scored, there was a final moment of drama as Ferland Mendy received a late red card for a reckless challenge on Muriqi. Mallorca will undoubtedly be more satisfied with the outcome than Real Madrid. Ancelotti will hope this result is merely a temporary setback, while Jagoba Arrasate, in his inaugural match as Mallorca's manager, clearly has much to build upon.