Real Madrid 1-0 Mallorca: Rudiger fires Los Blancos to narrow victory

Real Madrid received a significant boost before the start of the game with the return of Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior from their respective injuries.

Vinicius, who had been sidelined since November, had a promising opportunity to score upon his return, but unfortunately, his shot missed the target.

Facing a resilient Mallorca team, Vinicius decided to take a long-range shot, which forced a diving save from Predrag Rajkovic.

Despite Real Madrid's dominance in the first half, Mallorca had the best chance when Antonio Sánchez's header hit the underside of the crossbar from Dani Rodriguez's cross. The visitors continued to frustrate Real Madrid in the second half, with Samu Costa's strike hitting the post.

After an hour of play, Carlo Ancelotti made a cautious decision to substitute Vinicius with Brahim Diaz. The Spaniard came close to making an immediate impact with a diving header that hit the upright after a rebound from Rodrygo's shot.

Fortunately for Brahim, his miss didn't cost the team as Antonio Rüdiger scored his first goal of the season in the 78th minute. He rose high in the box to head the ball into the net from Luka Modric's corner.

Although Real Madrid couldn't add to their lead in the closing stages, it didn't matter much as they held on to secure the victory and move three points ahead of Girona. Mallorca, on the other hand, suffered their fourth defeat in five away league games and remained in 14th place.