Mbappe's La Liga Debut Ends in Frustration as Real Madrid Held by Mallorca
Kylian Mbappe's La Liga debut for Real Madrid ended in disappointment as the defending champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Real Mallorca on Sunday. Despite taking an early lead, Madrid struggled to break down a resilient Mallorca side in their first match of the season at Son Moix stadium.
Real Madrid opened the scoring in the first half when Rodrygo Goes found the back of the net with a well-placed shot following a pass from Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian duo's combination gave Madrid the lead, but they were unable to extend their advantage.
Mallorca equalized in the second half with a powerful header from Vedat Muriqi, who converted Dani Rodriguez's corner to bring the score level. The home side, managed by Jagoba Arrasate in his first match in charge, defended resolutely and posed a threat on the counter-attack.
Madrid's attempts to regain the lead were thwarted by Mallorca's goalkeeper, Dominik Greif, who made crucial saves to deny both Mbappe and Vinicius. Mbappe, who had scored in Madrid's UEFA Super Cup victory over Atalanta earlier in the week, was unable to find the net in his first La Liga appearance.
In the closing stages, Madrid's frustrations were evident when Ferland Mendy was shown a red card for a high challenge on Muriqi during stoppage time.
After the match, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged the team's shortcomings. "We went ahead, we had chances to score the second, and then in the second half we lacked balance," Ancelotti said. "We conceded counter-attacks, it was not a good game, it was quite a clear game to see that we need to defend better and have better balance on the pitch."
Ancelotti fielded the same starting eleven that secured the UEFA Super Cup, with Jude Bellingham playing in midfield behind the attacking trio of Mbappe, Vinicius, and Rodrygo. Despite this, the team struggled to break down Mallorca's defense after taking the lead.
Mallorca's Muriqi, who nearly scored before the half-time break, expressed his satisfaction with the result. "I'm so tired but it was worth it, it was so important to get a point against a team like Madrid, maybe the best in the world," Muriqi said. "I have to be honest, scoring against Madrid is so beautiful."
Real Madrid, who lost only once last season on their way to the title, will now look to regroup after a challenging start to their title defense.
