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A severely depleted Real Madrid staged a late comeback victory against Mallorca, keeping their slim La Liga title aspirations alive, at least for another day.
Just three days after suffering their fourth El Clásico defeat of the season, Real Madrid returned to La Liga action to face Mallorca. Missing a staggering 12 players due to injury or suspension, including key attackers Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo, as well as midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, Carlo Ancelotti was compelled to field a significantly altered starting eleven at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Familiar defensive frailties haunted Los Blancos early in the match. Martin Valjent found himself unmarked as he surged into the Real Madrid penalty area, and Dani Ceballos, the closest defender, stumbled with a mistimed challenge. Valjent capitalized, slotting the ball into the net to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage.
Real Madrid struggled to penetrate Mallorca’s compact defensive setup, and their frustration carried into the second half. However, Kylian Mbappé finally broke the deadlock for Real Madrid in the 68th minute, netting his 40th goal of the season. The French star received the ball on the edge of the box, skillfully dribbled past two defenders, and fired a right-footed shot inside the near post.
With time running out, it appeared another goal was unlikely for Real Madrid. However, in the 95th minute, 20-year-old Jacobo Ramón, a Real Madrid Castilla player, snatched all three points for the home side with his first senior career goal. He cleverly hooked the ball over Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Román, denying Barcelona the La Liga title on the night.