Published 13:39 IST, October 20th 2019
LaLiga 2019-20: Real Madrid's league momentum falls against Mallorca
Real Madrid's visit to Mallorca proved to be an unsuccessful one as Zinedine Zidane's team suffered a 1-0 loss against the home side; read for match updates
Real Madrid’s unbeaten run in LaLiga came to an end after the newly-promoted side RCD Mallorca enforced an upset over the Los Blancos. Real Madrid were left without their key players in the game with the likes of Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos being out of the squad due to injury. Zinedine Zidane also rested few players for their next Champions League group clash against Galatasaray S.K. The loss saw Real Madrid (18) moving a spot down to Barcelona (19) in the LaLiga table.
LaLiga: Mallorca 1-0 Real Madrid
Mallorca got the early lead as they created a three-on-three chance vs the Real Madrid defence on the counter-attack. Odriozola failed to match Lago’s tricks and the Mallorca winger slotted one home to make it 1-0 for the hosts. That was the only goal of the match. Zidane’s side continued their search for the equaliser but couldn’t find the back of the net throughout the 90 minutes. Real Madrid almost scored the equaliser in the first half as James Rodriguez played a beautiful ball to Karim Benzema, but the striker's shot came back off the bar. The home side were giving it back to the hosts with regular counter-attacks whenever they had an opportunity. Lago’s efforts almost doubled the lead for Mallorca in the 17th minute but the pass inside the box failed to meet anyone. Real Madrid right-back Odriozola was sent off in the 74th minute after seeing his second yellow of the match for imposing a dangerous tackle. 10-man Real Madrid were near the goal but failed to get past the Mallorca keeper in the last 10 minutes. The unexpected loss can prove to be a big blow to Zinedine Zidane's search for a LaLiga title.
LaLiga: Mallorca vs Real Madrid - Things to learn from the clash
1. With all the buzz going around the big 'El Clasico', Real Madrid seemed to have taken this clash lightly. It showed in the line-up Zidane decided to play against Mallorca.
2. Courtois has been out of form since the time he joined the Los Blancos. He has allowed 12 goals in the 24 shots he faced this season. Real Madrid may opt for Areola, who has performed well in the little opportunities he has got.
3. Although Zidane's side was leading the LaLiga table for the start of the season, they never looked like a team which they were two years back with Cristiano Ronaldo being on their side. Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic are yet to prove themselves in the whites.
Updated 15:27 IST, October 20th 2019