Real Madrid returned to the top of the table with a 4-1 win over Real Mallorca at the Santiago Bernabeu. With this win, they continue their perfect start to the season.
Real Madrid were far from their best at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday but saw moments of individual brilliance earn them a victory. They now have 15 points in five games so far, two points ahead of second-placed Barcelona.
Madrid’s performance in the first half was below-par as they missed Karim Benzema in the attack. The Frenchman is out of the squad with a quad injury he sustained during Real Madrid’s Champions League group match against Celtic. As of now, it is unclear how long he will be out of action.
Muqiri’s goal; Valverde levels for Real Madrid
On Sunday, a much-changed Madrid was initially struggling to get a foothold. Muqiri, who was denied by Courtois inside the opening 40 seconds, opened the scoring for Mallorca. The striker headed in Lee Kang-In’s free-kick just past the half-hour mark to give Mallorca the lead.
This changed, however, as Valverde leveled the score in the third minute of stoppage time. The Uruguayan put together a magnificent run before firing a left-footed shot from the edge of the box.
The Los Blancos started the second half showing more intent, having a majority of the possession. They were fortunate not to concede on a rare attacking situation when Antonio Sanchez fired wide from six yards out.
Other than that, there weren’t any significant chances created by Mallorca. Madrid looked in control, making more runs up the pitch.
Brazilian duo star in the second half
At the 72-minute mark, Rodrygo made a fantastic run into the opposition box to set up Vinicius Junior on his left. The Brazilian netted for a fifth consecutive game to put Carlo Ancelotti’s side in front.
Rodrygo would get a goal of his own as he went on to produce another masterpiece in the 89th minute. He carved open the Mallorca defense from the right before beating Predarg Rajkovic from a tight angle.
Former Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger picked up his first goal for Los Blancos as he scored in the third minute of the stoppage time. Rudiger picked up a free-kick by Toni Kroos, volleying the ball past Rajkovic to sum it up for Real Madrid.
Luka Modric is a game-changer
Ceballos tried his best in the first half and the early second half to provide a way through, but it just wouldn’t happen. While he did earn the official assist for Valverde’s opener, in reality, it was all about the Uruguayan’s brilliance on the ball.
The introduction of Luka Modric at the hour mark proved to be critical as Madrid looked more calm going forward. The 37-year-old Croatian continues to prove he’s irreplaceable in the midfield as he made more advances with the ball.
Carlo Ancelotti will have a tough time finding a suitable replacement for the maestro.
Injury Update on Karim Benzema
Karim Benzema’s fitness status is the biggest worry for Real Madrid at the moment. Benzema enjoyed a great last season, with many tipping his name for the Ballon d’Or.
The captain was forced to leave the pitch in the Champions League opener against Celtic on Wednesday. Reports suggest that it could take anything between a week and a month for him to get back to action.
The recent comments of Carlo Ancelotti are a relief, though. As reported by Real Madrid’s official website, the Italian manager said:
“We won’t rush Benzema back. He won’t play on Wednesday, and then we’ll see if we can get him back for the derby. If he doesn’t play, then I don’t think he’ll join up with France.”
Benzema is the leading man for Real Madrid, with no other option to cover the striker position. Ancelotti could look to repeat the trick of deploying Eden Hazard as a false nine until Benzema recovers. Vinicius Junior will be looked upon to provide the attacking threat.
The Brazilian has been in incredible form this season and has shown signs of greatness. It will be fascinating to see if he can handle the expectations set on him at Real Madrid.
Real Madrid will next face RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday, with a derby against Atletico Madrid coming up next week.
