Kylian Mbappe was left frustrated on his Real Madrid La Liga debut on Sunday as a resilient Real Mallorca held the Spanish and European champions to a 1-1 draw in its title defence opener. The French superstar was thwarted by Mallorca goalkeeper Dominik Greif and after Rodrygo Goes sent Madrid ahead early on the host levelled in the second half through Vedat Muriqi’s towering header. Madrid’s star-studded side struggled to break down Mallorca, which came closer to winning the game in the final stages at Son Moix Stadium.
Los Blancos defender Ferland Mendy was sent off in stoppage time for a high challenge on Muriqi. “We went ahead, we had chances to score the second, and then in the second half we lacked balance,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters. “We conceded counter-attacks, it was not a good game, it was quite a clear game to see that we need to defend better and have better balance on the pitch.
” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti selected the same starting line-up which defeated Atalanta to win the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday, with Jude Bellingham in midfield behind the Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo attacking line. AS IT HAPPENED: Mallorca vs Real Madrid highlights Mallorca coach Jagoba Arrasate was facing his first match in charge of the Copa del Rey runner-up and could not have asked for a tougher challenge on paper than the reigning champion, bolstered by Mbappe’s arrival. However, his team rose to the challenge and earned a creditab.