In a thrilling encounter at the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Mallorca on Wednesday, keeping their La Liga title hopes alive and delaying rivals Barcelona’s championship celebrations.
Mallorca stunned the home crowd early on when Martin Valjent headed in a corner kick in the 11th minute, giving the visitors an unexpected lead. Real Madrid pressed relentlessly but struggled to find an equalizer against a resolute Mallorca defense.
The breakthrough finally came in the 68th minute when Vinícius Júnior dazzled past defenders to slot home the equalizer, igniting the stadium. With momentum on their side, Los Blancos pushed for the winner to keep their slim title ambitions alive.
Just when it seemed the match would end in a draw, substitute Rodrygo surged into the box and delivered a perfect cross for Karim Benzema, who tapped in the winning goal five minutes into stoppage time.
“When we wear this badge, we fight until the end,” said Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. “Even though the gap is still big, we’ll keep pushing until it’s mathematically impossible.”
The victory means Real Madrid must win their remaining two games while hoping Barcelona fails to secure two points from their last three matches.
Barcelona, who had all but secured the title after their electrifying 4-3 win over Real Madrid in Sunday’s El Clásico, will now have to wait a bit longer to potentially lift the trophy.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti remained optimistic. “We showed character tonight,” he said. “We’re not giving up on the league title just yet.”
Madrid will face Real Sociedad next at the Bernabéu on May 25, aiming to keep the pressure on their Catalan rivals.
