Real Madrid reclaimed their winning form in La Liga with a hard-fought 1-0 triumph over Mallorca on Saturday evening.
Aurelien Tchouameni’s remarkable strike from 25 yards proved to be the decisive moment, propelling Los Blancos to an 11-point lead at the summit of La Liga.
Although Barcelona could narrow the gap to eight points with a victory over Cadiz later in the day, Real Madrid’s grip on the Spanish title seems increasingly firm, with the Santiago Bernabeu beckoning as its likely destination.
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The match started cautiously, with little action in either penalty area until the 31st minute when Mallorca’s corner found Antonio Raillo at the far post, prompting a reflex save from Andriy Lunin.
Moments later, Jude Bellingham rattled the crossbar with a thunderous strike, warning Real Madrid of their hosts’ threat.
Lunin, who kept Madrid’s hopes alive in the first half, had a moment of uncertainty when he spilled a cross, but Ferland Mendy spared his blushes by clearing the danger.
Real Madrid seized the initiative after the break, with Bellingham denied by a low save from Predrag Rajkovic before Tchouameni unleashed a stunning strike from distance, deflecting off Manu Morlanes and finding the top corner.
Rajkovic thwarted Brahim Diaz’s attempt, while Matija Nastasic cleared off the line after Luka Modric’s cutback found Brahim.
Mallorca persisted on the counter and from set-pieces, but Madrid held firm, with Lunin denying Sergi Darder’s long-range effort.
In the dying moments, Lunin’s error almost gifted Mallorca an equalizer, but Vedat Muriqi failed to hit the target, allowing Madrid to escape with all three points as the final whistle blew.