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

Real Madrid slumped to a shock defeat - RCD Mallorca v Real Madrid CF - La Liga
Real Madrid slumped to a shock defeat - RCD Mallorca v Real Madrid CF - La Liga

Real Madrid travelled to the Iberostar Stadium to cross swords with a Mallorca side firmly entrenched in the bottom three.

Zinedine Zidane's men entered the clash riding a five-game unbeaten run and despite being without the services of several key men - Eden Hazard, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale to name a few - were the overwhelming favourites on paper.

However, a tepid display from Los Blancos meant they crashed to a humiliating 1-0 defeat. A seventh-minute strike from Junior Lago was enough to seal the victory for the hosts, who climbed all the way up to 14th in the process.

Madrid, on the other hand, lie second on the table, having handed the initiative to Barcelona following their first defeat of the new season.

On that note, here are a few key takeaways from Mallorca's shock upset of Real Madrid.


#1 Mallorca finally break Madrid jinx

Mallorca entered this clash against Real Madrid with history firmly against them; the last time they had beaten Madrid at home in La Liga was way back in 2006. Interestingly enough, in that clash 13 years ago, Zinedine Zidane was featured in the Madrid starting lineup, while on this occasion, he was entrenched in the dugout.

Ever since that historic night, Mallorca have been on the receiving end of some real hidings at the hands of Los Blancos, losing four of their last five clashes against Madrid at home.

Moreover, the last time these two sides crossed swords at the Iberostar Stadium, back in 2012, Madrid ran out 5-0 winners courtesy goals from Gonzalo Higuain, Jose Callejon and Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, Mallorca's shock victory tonight has effectively ended the stranglehold Madrid have had over them this past decade.

Also check out:La Liga La Liga fixtures La liga table 2019-20

#2 End of the road for Thibaut Courtois?

RCD Mallorca v Real Madrid CF - La Liga
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.


#3 Mallorca's blueprint for success

RCD Mallorca v Real Madrid CF - La Liga
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.

#4 Injuries take their toll on Madrid; lack of depth cruelly exposed

Real Madrid CF v Granada CF - La Liga
Real Madrid CF v Granada CF - La Liga

Real Madrid entered this clash with as many as seven first-team players sidelined due to various injuries. Their midfield, which has so often been the source of their inspiration, lacked any sort of cohesion in the absence of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.

Casemiro looks like a shadow of the player he was a couple of seasons ago, while Isco put in yet another disastrous performance in a Madrid shirt, against Mallorca.

Without Kroos and Modric to control the tempo of the midfield and help build attacks from deep, Madrid often looked short of ideas in the middle of the park. The absence of Gareth Bale and Lucas Vazquez also impacted Los Blancos, who lacked creativity in the final third.

Their bench also looked woefully short on experience - with the three substitutes Zinedine Zidane turned to, all under the age of 22. It's experience and squad depth that wins titles and Madrid clearly lack that at the moment.


#5 Vinicius wasteful; Jovic invisible

RCD Mallorca v Real Madrid CF - La Liga
RCD Mallorca v Real Madrid CF - La Liga

Much has been said about the Vinicius Jr.-Luka Jovic combination for Real Madrid and what it can mean for the club's future.

The Brazilian is considered one of the most precocious talents in world football at the moment, while the Serb, who arrived at Madrid in a much-hyped move from Eintracht Frankfurt this past summer, was expected to ease the goalscoring burden off Karim Benzema's shoulders.

While Vinicius has shown flashes of his talent, he has failed to deliver on a consistent basis. Against Mallorca, he once again sparkled on occasion but lacked a cutting edge. He was one of Madrid's only bright spots in a dismal first-half performance, but his naivety in the final third proved to be his undoing.

Despite carving out chances for himself courtesy some mazy dribbles, Vinicius failed to test the Mallorca keeper on at least three different occasions in the opening period. The second half was no different as the Brazilian often found himself in promising positions but failed to hit the target.

As for Jovic, the less said about his performance the better. The Serb was invisible for the 60-odd minutes he was on the pitch, failing to link up with his teammates or create chances of his own. Jovic is yet to score in a Madrid shirt and time is running out quickly.

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Edited by Raunak J