Real Madrid maintained their flawless start to the La Liga season with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Real Mallorca at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, securing a third straight victory under new coach Xabi Alonso.
The visitors stunned the home crowd in the 18th minute when Vedat Muriqi bundled in a corner with his shoulder, handing Madrid their first conceded goal of the league campaign.
But Los Blancos hit back swiftly, turning the game on its head before half-time.
Teenage star Arda Güler nodded home from close range in the 37th minute after Dean Huijsen flicked on Alvaro Carreras’ cross, before Vinicius Junior carved through the Mallorca defence seconds later to squeeze a low finish into the corner.
Madrid, who had three further efforts ruled out for offside and handball, looked sharp going forward despite their busy summer schedule, which included the Club World Cup and a shortened pre-season.
Kylian Mbappé twice thought he had scored, only to be denied by the linesman’s flag, while 18-year-old Franco Mastantuono impressed on his full Bernabeu debut, narrowly missing the target and later helping create what would have been Madrid’s third disallowed goal.
At the other end, Carreras produced a heroic goal-line clearance to deny Samu Costa and preserve the lead, before Alonso’s side closed the game out with a maturity that was sometimes lacking under Carlo Ancelotti.
The result leaves Madrid perfect going into the first international break, a strong statement of intent in Alonso’s debut campaign at the helm.
Meanwhile, Barcelona, Villarreal, and Athletic Bilbao will all aim to keep pace on Sunday as they look for their own third consecutive wins.
