Mallorca 0-1 Real Madrid

Oofff that wasn’t an easy game. Very, very important win today to keep the confidence up going into the City game and to take the pressure off slightly for the upcoming El classico. The lads got it done.

I was a bit surprised with the starting 11 to be honest. I was expecting a few more rotations but then again i do completely understand Carlo going with a strong side as this was always likely to be a banana skin type of game right in between a giant champions league week. I would have liked Rudiger to have gotten a rest as I feel like Militao was surely ready to play at least 1 half of football. And I also would have liked Mendy to have gotten a rest to considering Garcia is available. Valverde also is a player i’d love to have to given a rest as we have Ceballos on the bench barely playing any minutes right now but I do understand rotating the whole team was always going to be unlikely and possibly foolish. So I’m glad Carvajal, Kroos, Vini Jr, Rodrygo were all able to get some rest at least.

Mallorca especially at their home ground always seem to give us a difficult challenge and this game was no different. They defended well, limited our chances in the first half, with only a Bellingham strike from outside the box being a great chance I can remember us having. I thought our work rate throughout the game was good though, I didn’t think at all that the players weren’t focused for this game or giving it their all.

After getting the fortunate goal from Tchouameni, the game opened up more and Diaz should have scored the 2nd, it would have been a nice assist for Modric. Vini Jr also looked lively off the bench and maybe could have had himself a goal. He needs to be clinical on Wednesday night vs City.

I thought the defense looked good, they were able to create some opportunities on the counter attack but overall they didn’t trouble Lunin too much in the game. Mendy was great in this game and seems to have upped his level in the last few weeks. Nacho was good, him playing the full game suggests it will be him to start vs City. The captain will need to put in a hell of a performance, something he hasn’t done much this season. Come on Nacho. Modric also had a great game I thought, full of energy, moving all over the midfield. I really hope he stays for another season, not ready to say goodbye to him yet.

I’m a bit gutted Diaz missed that chance as he’s 1 of my favourite players in this squad and he doesn’t often get chances to start games and he didn’t have the best of games, he had some nice dribbles but he did let this game pass him by a bit. He wasn’t as anonymous as Joselu but this was a great chance for him to dominate a game as he didn’t have either Vini Jr or Rodrygo on the pitch with him, so he had the freedom to be the creative outlet for the team in that first half.

Overall not a great performance really but because of the circumstances, away to Mallorca during a champions league knock out week. It’s somewhat understandable considering all eyes are on the champions league now, and as much as Carlo will say the team was only focused on Mallorca, I wasn’t expecting this game to be a blow out, I figured we would have to struggle.

Huge victory just before Barcelona play Cadiz, La liga is almost in our hands. Let’s rest up now for the biggest game of the season so far.