MALLORCA, Spain -- It was the 36th minute at Son Moix Stadium, and Real Madrid, already leading 1-0 in their LaLiga opener for the 2024-25 season, were in control. Positioned deep in Mallorca’s box, the Spanish champions, boasting one of the most thrilling attacking lineups in recent memory, were eager to display their capabilities.
Kylian Mbappé executed a backheel pass to Jude Bellingham, who turned and laid the ball off to Vinícius Júnior. Another backheel from Vinícius found Rodrygo, who passed it outside to Federico Valverde. Valverde’s cutback connected with Bellingham, who then threaded a disguised pass to Vinícius, slipping behind the defense. As Vinícius scooped a cross intended for Mbappé’s head inside the six-yard box, a goal seemed inevitable.
However, Mallorca’s goalkeeper, Dominik Greif, made a crucial intervention, preventing the ball from reaching Mbappé. This play encapsulated the promise and potential of this Real Madrid team: immense talent, creativity, and flair, with stars working together to dismantle the opposition. But despite all this, there was no goal, and Madrid remained only 1-0 up.
Twenty minutes later, Mallorca equalized in a straightforward, old-fashioned manner. Dani Rodríguez's corner was met by a powerful header from striker Vedat Muriqi, resulting in a 1-1 scoreline. The match ended with this score, leaving the reigning champions frustrated as they dropped two points on the opening weekend of the LaLiga season.
After the final whistle, Muriqi expressed his elation at scoring against Madrid. "I have to be honest. Scoring a goal against Madrid is amazing," he said. "I used to watch them on TV when I was little, this team, these players. I'm very proud. ... I was just saying to [Éder] Militão, you're all so fast! None of them are a weak link. They're world stars."
However, having a team full of stars isn't enough. Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti later criticized his team's performance, stating that they "lacked balance" and questioning their attitude and defensive commitment. This word, "balance," was always going to be key for Madrid this season.
The challenge lies in fitting Mbappé, Vinícius, Bellingham, and Rodrygo into the starting lineup without compromising the team’s balance, particularly in defense.
This can be achieved, but only if the players' attitude is right. Ancelotti had enough faith in Madrid's performance during their 2-0 UEFA Super Cup victory over Atalanta earlier in the week to maintain the same starting XI, featuring the attacking quartet of Mbappé, Vinícius, Rodrygo, and Bellingham, supported by Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni in midfield.
With Mbappé's highly anticipated LaLiga debut, all eyes were on him from the start. He was the second-to-last player to take the pitch, with only Militão behind him, as last season's champions were given a guard of honor by Mallorca's players before kickoff.
Every touch by Mbappé was scrutinized; every contribution, whether good or bad, was analyzed. It’s not every debut that receives special "player cam" treatment from ESPN. Mbappé had several chances to score. His first came in the sixth minute, after Mallorca lost possession following a corner. Mbappé carried the ball half the length of the pitch before losing his footing. Midway through the first half, he shot into the side netting from Vinícius' cross. In the second half, another opportunity arose, but Greif saved his deflected near-post shot.
Despite these efforts, Madrid’s goal didn’t come from Mbappé, Vinícius, or Bellingham. Rodrygo, who had been somewhat overlooked amidst the Mbappé excitement, impressed against Atalanta—Ancelotti praised his performance both in and out of possession. Here, after another intricate Madrid move involving Mbappé, Bellingham, and Vinícius, Rodrygo opened the scoring in the 12th minute. After receiving the ball inside the box, he waited, found space, and scored.
Until halftime, Madrid appeared unstoppable. But in the second half, Muriqi's equalizer deflated their confidence. In search of a goal, Ancelotti brought on substitute Luka Modric and later—perhaps too late—introduced Arda Güler and Brahim Díaz. However, it was Mallorca who came closest to a winner, with a shot narrowly missing the post in the 87th minute. The final act of the game was not a dramatic Madrid winner but Ferland Mendy’s red card in added time.
Madrid ended the night disappointed, with Mbappé still goalless. Ancelotti was blunt in his assessment: “We have to defend better and, above all, have more balance on the pitch.” His words, expression, and body language left no doubt about his dissatisfaction, even this early in the season.
Ancelotti and his staff have shown they can adjust the team and resolve early-season issues, as they did last season by evolving Bellingham’s position to best suit his talents, from acting as a “false nine” to drifting to the left of midfield to help protect that flank. More adjustments will be needed now to accommodate all the forwards, or difficult decisions will have to be made regarding who sits out.
It's far too early to draw any conclusions. But for those who feared that with the addition of Mbappé, Madrid would cruise to another title, this 1-1 draw serves as an early indication that it might not be so straightforward.
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