Real Madrid’s highly anticipated signing, Kylian Mbappe, was unable to find the back of the net during his Spanish league debut, as the defending champions were held to a 1-1 draw at Mallorca. The French forward, who had previously impressed with a goal in Madrid’s 2-0 victory over Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup, faced a more challenging outing on Sunday.
Madrid’s manager, Carlo Ancelotti, maintained the same starting lineup that triumphed over Atalanta midweek, deploying an attacking trio of Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior, and Mbappe. Thirteen minutes into the match, it was Rodrygo who broke the deadlock for the visitors. Ancelotti’s tactical flexibility was evident as he explained his approach towards using Mbappe and Vinicius. “They change position from time to time,” Ancelotti noted. “Sometimes Mbappe plays more centrally, and sometimes one of the two has to occupy the flank based on how they feel about it.”
Despite the early lead, Real Madrid found themselves pegged back in the second half. Mallorca’s Vedat Muriqi capitalized on a defensive lapse to equalize in the 53rd minute. Reflecting on the match, Ancelotti remarked, “We got off to a good start, taking the lead and then had a chance to get the second goal. However, we didn’t find the balance in the second half. We could have lost as there was no balance at the back. It wasn’t a good game. We need to defend better. We’re a very attacking team, but defensive balance is a fundamental factor.
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The frustration was compounded late in the game when Madrid’s defender Ferland Mendy was shown a red card for a hard tackle on Muriqi during stoppage time. Ancelotti expressed his views on the incident and the overall performance, stating, “I don’t want to make excuses for anything, but we just need to do better and with a better attitude. We can learn a lot from this match. It’s clear where our problems could come from.”
Among those present at the Son Moix Stadium to witness the match was tennis legend Rafael Nadal, a native of Mallorca. In a gesture of respect, Mallorca’s players formed a guard of honor for Real Madrid, applauding the Super Cup winners as they entered the field before kickoff.
In other La Liga action, Real Sociedad, who finished sixth last season, faced a surprising 2-1 defeat at home by Rayo Vallecano. Rayo, who struggled to avoid relegation in the last campaign, turned the match around with second-half goals from Jorge de Frutos and Sergio Camello. Sociedad’s consolation came deep into stoppage time through Martin Zubimendi.
Meanwhile, Barcelona secured a narrow 2-1 victory against Valencia on Saturday, thanks to a brace from Robert Lewandowski. This match marked the Spanish league debut for Barcelona’s new coach Hansi Flick, and it was an auspicious start for the former German national team manager. Atletico Madrid will be looking to keep pace as they visit Villarreal on Monday.
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