Mallorca 1-0 Real Madrid: 5 talking points as Los Blancos suffer first league defeat | La Liga 2019/20

#2 End of the road for Thibaut Courtois?

RCD Mallorca v Real Madrid CF - La Liga

Thibaut Courtois has copped a fair bit of criticism for his uninspiring displays between the sticks for Real Madrid ever since his high-profile move from Chelsea. The Belgian has failed to replicate the form that made him one of the best keepers in the world during his time at Chelsea and there have been calls from many of the Madrid faithful to drop him for good.

Courtois has now conceded from nine of the last 14 shots on target he has faced in all competitions, which is a truly abysmal record for a keeper at such a big club.

Although there was little he could do to stop Junior Lago’s effort from hitting the back of the net, the Belgian might just be made the scapegoat and be axed in favour of Alphonse Areola, who is waiting patiently in the wings.

9 - Thibaut Courtois has conceded from nine of the last 14 shots on target he has faced for Real Madrid in all competitions. Vulnerable. pic.twitter.com/hxyCOQJUNx

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) October 19, 2019

---

#3 Mallorca's blueprint for success

RCD Mallorca v Real Madrid CF - La Liga

Mallorca entered this contest as firm underdogs, but that did not stop them from taking the game to Real Madrid from the outset. It was evident from the way Vicente Moreno set up his team that they were not going to show Zinedine Zidane's side any respect in the early stages.

Mallorca pressed high and with an intensity they've rarely shown in the past. They hounded the Madrid players, especially the two centre-backs and Casemiro, forcing them into rushed clearances and misplaced passes.

The fact that Madrid often tried to play out from the back did not help their cause as they were constantly forced onto the backfoot by the intensity of the Mallorca press. With their usual passing rhythm upset, Los Blancos failed to get a foothold in the game early on and went on to concede in under 10 minutes, further playing into Mallorca's hands.