Mallorca vs Real Madrid: Late Muriqi strike hands Barcelona major title boost

Real Madrid suffered a major blow in their LALIGA title ambitions, falling behind twice to lose 3-0 to a spirited Mallorca side at Son Moix.

Arbeloa, mindful of the midweek UCL commitments, chose to rotate his squad, resting stars such as Vinícius Júnior and giving a full debut to 22-year-old academy graduate Manuel Ángel. 

Despite dominating possession and seeing the returning Éder Militão salvage what looked like a late point, Martín Demichelis’s highly organised Mallorca side executed a perfect smash-and-grab to claim three massive points in their battle against the drop.

Real Madrid dictated the early tempo and created several high-quality chances, but they repeatedly found themselves thwarted by the heroics of Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Román. 

In the 22nd minute, Arda Güler threaded a brilliant through ball to Kylian Mbappé, but the French star’s powerful low drive was brilliantly saved.

Just over ten minutes later, a precise cross from Trent Alexander-Arnold found Güler for a first-time strike, only for Román to produce a feline reflex save right on the goal line.

Against the run of play, Mallorca punished Madrid's lack of clinical finishing in the 41st minute. Pablo Maffeo orchestrated the move, delivering a pinpoint cross into the heart of the penalty area. 

Midfielder Manu Morlanes timed his late run perfectly, controlling the ball into his path before placing a right-footed shot into the bottom corner to send the home crowd into a frenzy and give Mallorca a 1-0 advantage at the interval.

Desperate to keep pace with league leaders Barcelona, Arbeloa turned to his bench, introducing Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham in the 64th minute. 

The relentless pressure finally broke the hosts' resistance in the 88th minute when Éder Militão, making a massive return from a long-term injury off the bench, rose high to meet Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner kick, powering a commanding header into the net to level the score at 1-1.

However, the drama was far from over. Just as Madrid committed bodies forward in search of a winner, Mallorca launched a devastating final attack deep into stoppage time. 

Vedat Muriqi stepped up in stoppage time to score a stunning, agonising goal that completely sank the visitors and sparked wild celebrations across the stadium.

The crushing 2-1 defeat leaves Real Madrid vulnerable in the title race, squandering a vital opportunity to put pressure on Barcelona ahead of the Catalans' game against Atlético Madrid. 

Arbeloa must now quickly rally his frustrated squad as they shift focus to Tuesday's massive Champions League first-leg clash against Bayern Munich.