Real Madrid’s La Liga title hopes took a significant hit on Saturday as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at Mallorca, courtesy of Vedat Muriqi’s stoppage-time winner. The result leaves Real Madrid seven points behind league leaders Barcelona with eight rounds of games remaining, a gap that now places the title firmly in Catalan hands barring a dramatic collapse.
The defeat is all the more damaging given that Barcelona went on to beat Atletico Madrid in the late game on the same evening, compounding Real’s misery. What had been a four-point gap before kick-off in Mallorca stretched to seven by the end of the night, and the math is becoming increasingly unforgiving for Alvaro Arbeloa’s side.
A Game of Late Drama and Missed Chances
Mallorca took the lead four minutes before half-time when Manu Morlanes met a cross from Pablo Maffeo on the right, composed himself with a touch, and slotted the ball into the bottom right corner. Real Madrid had created several opportunities before that point, but Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Roman was in outstanding form throughout.
Kylian Mbappe was denied twice by Roman in quick succession. The French captain first drove past two defenders before seeing his shot blocked by Roman’s outstretched leg, and then had a curled effort pushed behind the post. Arda Guler also tested the goalkeeper with a low driven effort that Roman handled comfortably. Real’s inability to convert their chances proved costly.
They appeared to have rescued a point in the 88th minute when Eder Militao powered in a header from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner. However, Muriqi had other ideas. The Kosovo international struck his 19th league goal of the season in the first minute of stoppage time to seal a memorable win for the hosts and send Real Madrid back to the capital with nothing.
Arbeloa Takes the Blame
Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa did not attempt to deflect responsibility after the final whistle. Neither Vinicius Junior nor Jude Bellingham started the match, with both players introduced only as second-half substitutes, a decision widely seen as a rotation gamble ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Bayern Munich.
“This defeat is mine, absolutely,” Arbeloa said. “I told the players that. I’m the one who makes the decisions.”
When pressed on whether the loss could prove decisive in the title race, he acknowledged the difficulty of the situation while attempting to maintain focus on what remains within his team’s control.
“It’s clear it’s more difficult now than before. What I told the players is that it doesn’t matter where Barcelona are. Our objective is to win the eight games we have left.”
Title Race Increasingly One-Sided
The defeat ends Real Madrid’s five-game winning run across all competitions and also reveals a worrying pattern in the league specifically. They have now lost three of their last six La Liga matches, following earlier defeats to Celta Vigo and Getafe.
For Mallorca, the win could not have come at a better time, lifting them two points clear of the relegation zone and up to 17th in the table.
Barcelona, meanwhile, sit firmly in control. With eight games to play and a seven-point cushion, Hansi Flick’s side need only maintain their current form to secure back-to-back La Liga titles. For Real Madrid, the path back into the race is narrow and leaves very little room for further error.
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