Lorraine Williamson
Real Madrid looked as though they had escaped with a point in Palma. Then Vedat Muriqi struck in stoppage time and turned a frustrating away afternoon into a genuine title-race blow. The Mallorca Real Madrid upset was dramatic enough on its own. What came later made it worse.
Mallorca took the lead in the 42nd minute through Manu Morlanes after Pablo Maffeo caused problems down the right. Although Madrid dominated possession, the visitors struggled to turn control into comfort. Militao, back from injury, headed in an 88th-minute equaliser that seemed to rescue a point before Muriqi buried the winner three minutes later.
Palma changed the maths
At full time, the defeat left Madrid four points behind Barcelona.
Barcelona made the damage even worse for Madrid later last night, beating 10-man Atlético Madrid 2-1 to open up a seven-point lead at the top. The match had its own flashpoints too: Atlético’s Nico González was sent off just before half-time, while Barça were briefly reduced to panic when Gerard Martín saw red early in the second half, only for VAR to downgrade it to a yellow. By the end, Robert Lewandowski’s late winner had turned Mallorca’s upset into an even more painful night for Real.
In the space of one evening, the league picture swung sharply away from Madrid.
For Mallorca, the result felt just as significant. Reuters said the win lifted them two points clear of the relegation zone, and goalkeeper Leo Román played a major role in keeping Madrid at bay for long stretches. This was not just a big-name scalp. It was survival fuel.
Pressure moves quickly to Europe
Madrid do not have much time to dwell on it. Reuters reported that the team now turn towards a Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich, while Real Madrid’s own January announcement confirmed that Álvaro Arbeloa is the club’s first-team coach. He now has to steady a side whose league hopes suddenly look far thinner than they did before kick-off at Son Moix.
Sometimes title races turn in a clásico. Sometimes they turn in places like Palma, where one late goal changes the mood of an entire weekend. After the Mallorca Real Madrid upset, Barcelona now hold the clear advantage.