Real Madrid began 2024 with a win in La Liga as Antonio Rudiger’s solitary second half goal was enough to see off Mallorca at the Bernabeu.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side will remain top of the table through this week’s round of games as a result, although it was no easy task on a frustrating evening against a well-drilled opponent, who actually hit the woodwork twice during the course of the match.
How the game unfolded
Only a handful of teams in La Liga have won fewer games than Mallorca so far this season, but the islanders came into this one off the back of two victories in their last three outings before Christmas and were the closer of the sides to breaking the deadlock in the first half.
Antonio Sanchez’s far post header just before half-time cannoned off the underside of the crossbar, with the ball gratefully grasped by Andriy Lunin as it bounced back up from the goal-line.
Overall, the contest became more lively as the opening 45 minutes progressed. A difficult near post header from Jude Bellingham, easily saved by Pedrag Rajkovic, was the best of few early chances for a Madrid team dominating possession.
As the hosts probed, Vinicius Junior dragged his shot across goal in a hurry after Luka Modric squeezed the ball through the compact defence. The Brazilian missed the target again later in the half when Rodrygo had pinched the ball in Mallorca territory, but he did then force Rajkovic into a top save to keep it goal-less with another effort not long after.
Tension also rose in the final moments before the interval when there were clamours from the home fans for Mallorca defender Siebe van der Heyden, who had been shown a yellow card for a stray elbow within a few seconds of the opening kick-off, to be sent off for tripping Rodrygo.
Having hit the bar late in the first half, Mallorca struck the woodwork again quickly in the second as Samu’s speculative long-range drive caught Madrid by surprise and bounced off the foot of the post. Toni Kroos narrowly missed the target with a dipping free-kick but the hosts were otherwise too sluggish to break Mallorca down and create anything more of note.
Madrid needed an injection of energy and Brahim Diaz helped provide it off the bench. Yet the 24-year-old won’t understand how he didn’t put his team ahead after Rodrygo’s shot was parried by Rajkovic. Throwing himself at the rebound, Brahim somehow headed the ball onto the post.
Pressure from Madrid was building as the final stages neared, albeit still without really hammering on the door, and it was perhaps fitting that it was a set-piece which provided the breakthrough. The Mallorca resistance that had been frustrating for three quarters of the game relented, with Rudiger rising highest in the middle of a crowded box to head in Modric’s in-swinging corner.
GK: Andriy Lunin – 5/10 – Kind of helpless when the ball struck his woodwork on two occasions.
RB: Dani Carvajal – 6/10 – With minimal width on the right, the onus was on him to put in a hard shift and that was exactly what he gave.
CB: Aurelien Tchouameni – 6/10 – First start since October but it came in an unnatural position due to Nacho’s suspension. Distributed well out from the back.
CB: Antonio Rudiger – 7/10 – Seemed to enjoy his physical battle with Mallorca striker Cyle Larin and then emerged as the unlikely hero with his first La Liga goal in 16 months.
LB: Fran Garcia – 5/10 – Delivery wasn’t the best when he got forward.
CM: Federico Valverde – 6/10 – Showcased some excellent passing without being hugely influential.
CM: Luka Modric (c) – 7/10 – His brain isn’t slowing down even if his body is starting to.
CM: Toni Kroos – 6/10 – Helped control the tempo of possession but didn’t have the incisiveness to make Mallorca really sweat. Sacrificed for a more attacking change.
AM: Jude Bellingham – 7/10 – No customary goal but always looking to be at the heart of what Madrid did. Worked as hard off the ball as he did on it.
ST: Rodrygo – 5/10 – Just lacked the crucial bit of quality when it mattered most.
ST: Vinicius Junior – 6/10 – Back in from the start after recovering from injury. A little rusty in front of goal and understandably only lasted an hour. Still had Madrid’s best chance of the first half.
Substitutes
SUB: Brahim Diaz (60′ for Vinicius) – 7/10
SUB: Joselu (67′ for Kroos) – 6/10
SUB: Dani Ceballas (86′ for Modric) – N/A
SUB: Lucas Vazquez (86′ for Rodrygo) – N/A
Subs not used: Kepa (GK), Gonzalez (GK), Carrillo, Paz, Guler
Manager
Carlo Ancelotti – 6/10 – Hands are tied a bit by lack of options and it was persistence rather than anything else that secured this win. The earlier substitutes did add something.
Player of the match – Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid)
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