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Real Madrid secured a narrow 1-0 win over Mallorca at the Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez Stadium in La Liga on Saturday, April 13.
Mallorca entered this matchup on the back of a decent run of form. With three wins, two draws, and two defeats in their last seven across competitions, they sat 15th in the table ahead of kick-off. Their last game was the Copa del Rey final where they fell 2-4 on penalties to Athletic Club after the game was 1-1 after 120 minutes. Javier Aguirre fielded a strong XI for this game.
Los Blancos entered this contest on the back of a great run of form. They were unbeaten in their seven games across competitions before this, securing four wins and three draws. Carlo Ancelotti's men defeated Athletic Club 2-0 in La Liga, before drawing 3-3 against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League last time. The Italian fielded a strong lineup for this contest.
Real Madrid began the game on the front foot as they looked to assert themselves in the proceedings early on. However, they lacked sharpness in the final third and were unable to carve out any real openings in the first period. The story was the same on the other end as Mallorca struggled with just 37 percent possession. They attempted just one shot throughout the first period.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, failed to hit the target with any of their three attempts in the first period. Despite having the ball, they were missing the directness of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo on the flanks. The two teams were deadlocked at 0-0 at the break.
Aurelien Tchouameni gave Real Madrid the perfect start to the second half as he put them up just three minutes after the restart. A poor clearance from a Mallorca defender saw the ball fall straight to the Frenchman. He took one touch before rifling the ball into the top right corner from around 30 yards out to make it 1-0.
Mallorca goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic did extremely well to keep Real Madrid at bay for the rest of the second half after they turned up the style. His own team managed just one shot on target, though, as they struggled to regain a foothold in the contest. The visitors showed their class in the end and held on to secure another win.
On that note, let's take a look at the five hits and flops from this match.
#5. Hit - Luka Modric (Real Madrid)
Luka Modric had a great game in midfield and rolled back the years with a silky performance which the scoreline did not do justice to. He passed the ball with 89 percent accuracy, including three key passes as the Croatian was eager to play the ball through Mallorca's defensive lines.
Modric also completed four dribbles past the hosts' hapless midfielders and also won five duels in defence. He was subbed off in the 86th minute after a well-rounded effort.
#4. Flop - Antonio Sanchez (Mallorca)
Sanchez was limited to very few touches as Real Madrid did well to negate Mallorca's threat from wide areas. As a result, he failed to deliver a single notable pass from the flank, leaving his forwards alienated in the middle.
Sanchez did not even attempt a single shot, was dispossessed seven times, and won just two of his six duels.
#3. Hit - Predrag Rajkovic (Mallorca)
Rajkovic deserves massive credit for keeping the scoreline to what made it look like a respectable defeat for Mallorca. He made seven great saves throughout the contest, with all coming in the second half after Real Madrid failed to hit the target in the first period.
Four of the saves Rajkovic made were off shots from inside the box as the Serbian custodian proved his worth to his team. He also played nine accurate long balls and won two duels.
#2. Flop - Vedat Muriqi (Mallorca)
Muriqi had a dull outing as he was alienated from the service of his wingers and midfielders. He played the entirety of the match but had just 30 touches of the ball, averaging one touch every three minutes of play. With that, he played 10 passes with 56 percent accuracy as he even struggled to link up play.
Muriqi could not make the most of his two chances as he fired both shots off target. He also won a measly one of 12 duels in a forgettable match altogether.
#1. Hit - Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid)
Tchouameni's solitary goal saw his team pick up all three points as they inch closer to another La Liga title. He did well to cushion the ball and take his time to pick a spot that Mallorca goalie Predrag Rajkovic could not do much to cover.
Tchouameni passed the ball with 86 percent accuracy, including two key passes. He attempted three shots and scored with the only one that was on target. The Frenchman also won eight duels, making four clearances and two tackles. He was awarded Player of the Match for his performance.
