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Real Madrid beat Mallorca to keep their lead on the chasing pack in the race for the LALIGA title.
Fresh off an intense clash against Manchester City midweek in the Champions League, Real Madrid faced a test away at Mallorca, and they managed to get maximum points with a slender 1-0 victory.
How it happened
With the second-leg of the Champions League clash against Manchester City only few days away, Carlo Ancelotti opted for six changes in his lineup. The impact of these alterations was evident as Real Madrid seemed disjointed in their attacking play despite dominating possession.
The game's first shot on target arrived after a half-hour mark, with Dani Rodríguez's corner met by Antonio Raíllo, only to be denied by Andriy Lunin.
However, this seemed to spur Los Blancos into action. Just moments later, Aurélien Tchouaméni set up Jude Bellingham, whose curling effort struck the crossbar, signaling Real Madrid's intent. Despite their efforts, they failed to break the deadlock before halftime, unable to trouble Mallorca's goalkeeper Predrag Rajković.
The breakthrough came early in the second half when Tchouaméni unleashed a speculative effort from 30 yards out. His shot deflected off Antonio Sánchez, leaving Rajković helpless as the ball sailed into the top corner. Real Madrid pushed for a second goal, with Rajković denying Brahim Díaz on two occasions and Nacho making a crucial block to deny Abdón Prats.
In the final 20 minutes, substitute Vinícius Júnior threatened the Mallorca defense, but his effort was cleared off the line by Matija Nastasić after Federico Valverde rounded the goalkeeper. Mallorca came close to equalizing when Sergi Darder unleashed a powerful half-volley, but Lunin made a crucial save to preserve Real Madrid's lead.
The victory extended Real Madrid's unbeaten run and kept them in contention for the league title. Mallorca's struggles in front of goal continued, as they failed to find the net for the fifth consecutive league match.
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