Late victory by Real Madrid hinders Barca's celebrations in La Liga against Mallorca
Real Madrid snatched the La Liga title race from Barcelona's grip, staying alive in the hunt with a thrilling comeback win against Mallorca. Los Blancos trailed for much of the game after Martin Valjent's early opener, but two second-half goals turned the tide. Kylian Mbappe's equalizer and Jacobo Ramon's late winner denied Barca the title on Thursday.
The Catalans looked set to claim their 28th La Liga title following their Clasico victory, but a determined Madrid fought back in the final stages against Mallorca. Carlo Ancelotti praised his team's performance, stating, "The team played very well, it fought a lot, played with a lot of intensity and it was a totally deserved victory."
Ancelotti, who will depart at the end of the season to take charge of the Brazilian national team, led an injured Madrid side deprived of stars like Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes, and others. Despite the absences, Madrid showed resilience and overcame the challenges posed by Mallorca.
Mallorca, aiming for their first taste of European football since 2004, put up a tough fight at the Santiago Bernabeu. 18-year-old Endrick came close for Madrid, but Leo Roman made a fine save to keep Mallorca in the game.
With Mallorca leading 1-0, Mbappe found a breakthrough with some impressive footwork, drilling past Roman for his 40th goal of the season. Mallorca almost responded immediately through Mateu Morey, but Courtois denied him one-on-one.
The tide turned in Madrid's favor when 20-year-old defender Jacobo scored a late winner, lifting a dropping ball over Roman's head as Mallorca's defense hesitated.
Despite Barcelona's dominance in the Clasico, Leo Roman had a standout performance against Madrid, making several crucial saves. Courtois returned the praise, recognizing the young Mallorca goalkeeper's skills and appreciating the efforts of Madrid's academy.
In the 2021-2022 season, Real Madrid finished as champions with 86 points, followed by Barcelona with 73 points. Regarding the matches between Real Madrid and Mallorca after the El Clásico, detailed results could not be found in the provided search results. However, in the season, Madrid defeated Mallorca 6-1 at home and 3-0 at Mallorca's stadium[3][4].
© 2025 AFP
[3] https://www.laliga.com/en/for/temporada-2021-2022[4] https://www. Transfermarkt.com/laliga/nachwuchsspieler- bzw-entscheidungen,tmw_mit-alter-/wettbewerb-division/nov/2022/standings
Despite Barcelona's initial dominance in the Clasico, Real Madrid managed to secure the La Liga title, pushing European football's limelight to the Spanish team. The victory was achieved against Mallorca, a team aiming to make a comeback to European-leagues since 2004.
