Real Madrid lose at Mallorca, stay four points behind Barcelona in La Liga

Palma de Mallorca, Spain – Real Madrid’s La Liga title hopes suffered a jolt on Saturday night as they fell 2-1 to relegation-threatened Mallorca at Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, a result that leaves them four points behind leaders Barcelona with eight matches remaining.

Interim coach Álvaro Arbeloa accepted full responsibility for the defeat, admitting that his decision to rest star forward Vinícius Júnior from the start backfired. “This defeat is mine, absolutely,” Arbeloa told reporters. “I told the players that. I’m the one who makes the decisions.”

Madrid entered the contest on a five-game winning streak across all competitions, but they looked flat from the outset. Mallorca struck first in the 41st minute when midfielder Manu Morlanes rose unmarked to head home and spark delirium among the home support. The hosts, who began the day inside the drop zone, climbed to 17th with the victory, leapfrogging Elche on goal difference.

Arbeloa’s side pushed for an equaliser after the break, introducing Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior off the bench, yet the tweaks failed to shift momentum. Central defender Éder Militão appeared to rescue a point when he nodded in a corner deep into stoppage time, but the joy lasted barely two minutes. Kosovo striker Vedat Muriqi latched onto a loose ball in the box and lashed home the winner, condemning Madrid to their third league defeat in six outings, after previous losses to Celta Vigo and Getafe.

The result halts Madrid’s momentum three days before the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich at the Bernabéu. Arbeloa opted to rest Vinícius, who logged heavy minutes for Brazil during the international break, while Bellingham was limited to a 30-minute cameo as he regains full fitness. Federico Valverde was unavailable through suspension after his red card in the Madrid derby.

Asked whether the setback could prove decisive in the title race, Arbeloa was pragmatic: “It’s clear it’s more difficult now than before. What I told the players is that it doesn’t matter where Barcelona are — our objective is to win the eight games we have left.”

Barcelona, who play third-placed Atlético Madrid later on Saturday, now have the chance to extend their cushion at the summit. If the Catalans prevail at the Metropolitano, Madrid could find themselves seven points adrift with only 24 left to play for.

Madrid controlled possession early on and Kylian Mbappé spurned a handful of presentable chances, but familiar failings resurfaced: a lack of cutting edge in attack and defensive lapses at critical moments. Brahim Díaz retained his starting berth, while academy graduate Manuel Ángel was again handed midfield duties, yet neither could provide the spark required. Thiago Pitarch, one of the season’s surprise packages, remained on the bench as Arbeloa leaned on experience.

The defeat revives uncomfortable memories of Madrid’s inconsistent domestic form and intensifies scrutiny ahead of Tuesday’s European showdown. With the league pendulum swinging toward Barcelona, Arbeloa’s primary task now is to lift morale quickly — or risk seeing their season unravel on two fronts.