Real Madrid 1-0 Mallorca: Antonio Rudiger scores rare goal to secure narrow win for Los Blancos in La Liga

Real Madrid eked past Mallorca 1-0 at the Bernabeu in their first match of 2024 to keep pace with Girona in the La Liga title race.

A 79th-minute header from Antonio Rudiger – his first La Liga goal since scoring against the same opposition in April – was just about enough to hand Real all three points at on an evening where they didn’t really deserve them.

Neither side looked particularly potent in front of goal in a drab affair, and surprisingly, it was the visitors who came closest to breaking the deadlock, twice rattling the woodwork of Andriy Lunin’s goal.

For all their dominance in possession, Madrid looked disjointed for the most part, with passes into the final third going awry, and their strikers, so often prolific and relentless in the final third, missed the chances that came their way.

The hosts’ first real sighting of goal was from Jude Bellingham, as the Englishman’s flicked header needed a save from Pedrag Rajkovic, before Vinicius Junior, returning from a seven-game injury lay-off, spurned two chances in 11 minutes, twice dragging wide of the target as he displayed his rustiness.

Rajkovic was called into action for the first time by a thunderous Vincius effort from the edge of the area, with the Serbian goalkeeper equal to a strike that seemed destined for the top corner, but the scoreline remained even as half-time drew nearer.

On 41 minutes, Federico Valverde lashed a shot wide of the near post as he burst into the penalty area, before a minute later, Antonio Sanchez won the most unlikely of headers at the far post, meeting a Dani Rodriguez stand-up cross, and seeing his effort cannon back off the underside of the crossbar.

Nine minutes after the restart, Mallorca hit the frame of the goal again, as Samu’s speculative hit from range rattled the foot of the post.

With 69 minutes on the watch, it was Madrid’s turn to hit the woodwork, as substitute Joselu laid one off for Valverde to find Rodrygo down the left. The Brazilian opened his body up to curl one towards the far corner, forcing a diving save from Rajkovic. Brahim Diaz, the other Madrid substitute, got his head to the rebound, but could only watch on as the ball hit the inside of the post and bounced along the goal-line before being hacked to safety.

But cometh the hour (well, the 79th minute), and cometh the man. Rudiger, to be exact. The German defender leapt imperiously above the rest to guide Luka Modric’s inswinging corner into the far corner to leave Rajkovic rooted to the spot, and sink a dagger into the hearts of Javier Aguirre and his valiant visitors.

The hype has all, understandably so, been about Jude Bellingham’s goalscoring exploits in his new advanced role behind the two wide strikers, but in a game like today, when you just have two pacey and diminutive wide men up top against a low and physical defensive block, you need a focal point in your attack.

Joselu was signed to be the emergency target man off the bench when things got desperate, and he was immediately involved in the move that led Diaz hitting the post after he was introduced, setting the ball down for Valverde on the edge of the area, before the Uruguayan found Rodrygo in acres of space.

Bellingham’s form since his arrival has been the perfect foil to disguise the fact that Madrid have not properly replaced Karim Benzema, and, with their pursuit of Kylian Mbappe to ensue in this transfer window once more, a true out-and-out No. 9 does not seem on the cards any time soon for Los Blancos.

Will it cost them the title?

The leader and the middle man in the back five, he was the voice of reason to blend every individual visiting defender’s efforts into one communal drive to grind out a point.

Desperately unlucky not to come out with what they sought, Raillo was one of many standout Mallorcan defensive performances.

Real Madrid: Lunin 5, Carvajal 5, Rudiger 7, Tchouameni 7, Garcia 6, Valverde 6, Kroos 6, Modric 6, Bellingham 6, Rodrygo 6, Vinicius 5. Subs: Diaz 6, Joselu 7, Vazquez 6, Ceballos 5.

Mallorca: Rajkovic 7, Maffeo 6, Gonzalez 7, Baillo 8, Nastasic 7, Van der Heyden 5, Sanchez 6, Samu 7, Morlanes 6, Rodriguez 7, Larin 6. Subs: Lato 6, Mascarell 6, Prats 6, Darder 6, Ndiaye 6.

20’: CLOSE! The closest that Madrid have come, as Modric pokes one through for Vinicius who peels leftwards, and his effort is just dragged wide of the far post.

38’: GOOD SAVE! Rajkovic is called into action for the first time as Vinicius flashes a vicious shot at goal after a lovely piece of skill, but the goalkeeper is level to it to keep it out.

42’: OFF THE BAR! Mallorca come the closest of either side so far! Dani Rodriguez breaks down the left and stretches to get the cross in, and it’s Antonio Sanchez who wins the header, and it’s off the underside of the crossbar!

54’: OFF THE POST! A second woodwork hit for the visitors, as Mallorca break down the left, as Lato works it inside for Samu to hit speculatively from range, and he crashes it into the foot of the post!

69’: HOW DID THAT NOT GO IN?! Joselu works well to lay it off for Valverde, giving it to Rodrygo, who tries to guide it into the far corner. Rajkovic makes the save, and Diaz on the rebound, can’t quite direct the header where he wants it, hitting the inside of the post and watching it rebound across the goal-line!

79’: GOAL! Antonio Rudiger meets it, and he’s scored! They’ve finally broken the deadlock, and Mallorca’s resoluteness. Modric’s inswinger is flicked into the far corner by the German defender.