Within sixty seconds, Madrid had turned the scoreboard around entirely.
En el Bernabéu, el Real Madrid demostró una vez más que los grandes equipos no solo ganan, sino que saben reponerse. Ante el Mallorca, que tuvo la audacia de ponerse por delante en campo ajeno, los blancos respondieron con dos goles en un minuto para sellar un 2-1 que les otorga nueve puntos perfectos en tres jornadas. Es la historia de siempre en el fútbol de élite: no importa tanto el tropiezo como la velocidad con que uno se levanta.
- El Mallorca sacudió el Bernabéu en el minuto 18 con un cabezazo de Muriqi que puso en jaque la solidez defensiva madridista.
- En apenas sesenta segundos, Güler y Vinícius dieron la vuelta al marcador, convirtiendo la amenaza visitante en una anécdota.
- El VAR anuló dos goles a Madrid —uno de Mbappé y otro de Güler— manteniendo el partido en un estado de tensión artificial pese al dominio local.
- El Mallorca no se rindió: Samú Costa rozó el empate con un disparo que Carreras sacó sobre la línea, y Valjent obligó a Courtois a emplearse a fondo.
- Al pitido final, Madrid se marcha al parón internacional con el pleno de puntos y la certeza de haber superado una prueba más incómoda de lo que el marcador refleja.
El Real Madrid cerró la tercera jornada de LaLiga con un triunfo trabajado ante el Mallorca, aunque el camino hasta el 2-1 final estuvo lejos de ser sencillo. Xabi Alonso apostó por Vinícius y Trent Alexander-Arnold desde el inicio, y el equipo comenzó con intención: un gol temprano de Mbappé fue anulado por fuera de juego, dejando la sensación de que el partido podría haberse resuelto antes de tiempo.
Fue el Mallorca, dirigido por Javier Arrasate, quien aprovechó el momento. En el minuto 18, Vedat Muriqi cabeceó con autoridad un córner de Pablo Torres para batir a Courtois y poner a los visitantes por delante en el Bernabéu. La sorpresa duró poco. En el espacio de un solo minuto —del 37 al 38—, Arda Güler empató y Vinícius completó la remontada, dejando al Mallorca sin tiempo ni respuesta.
El partido, sin embargo, no se apaciguó del todo. El VAR volvió a intervenir para anular un tercer gol madridista a Güler por mano, y el Mallorca tuvo sus propias opciones para igualar: un disparo de Samú Costa que Carreras despejó sobre la línea y una ocasión de Valjent que Courtois resolvió con solvencia. Al final, Madrid resistió y sumó su novena unidad en tres jornadas, marchándose al parón internacional con el trabajo hecho. El Mallorca, por su parte, se va con la derrota pero también con argumentos para creer que puede competir con cualquiera.
Real Madrid walked away from the Bernabéu with their perfect record intact, dispatching Mallorca 2-1 in the third round of the Spanish league season. It was a match that turned on a single minute of football—the kind of moment that defines a team's character—and when it was over, the home side had nine points from nine possible, heading into the international break with their work done.
Xabi Alonso made two notable changes to his starting eleven, bringing in Vinícius and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Early on, the English fullback sent a crisp pass toward Mbappé that looked to have put Madrid ahead in the seventh minute, but the flag went up for offside and the goal was erased. The visitors, managed by Javier Arrasate, seized the moment. In the 18th minute, Vedat Muriqi rose above the Madrid defense to meet a corner from Pablo Torres and headed the ball past Courtois with authority. Suddenly, the island team from Mallorca had the lead at the Bernabéu.
What happened next was the kind of response that separates the elite from the rest. Within sixty seconds—a span so brief it felt almost inevitable—Madrid had turned the scoreboard around entirely. Arda Güler equalized in the 37th minute, and before Mallorca could process what had happened, Vinícius struck in the 38th to make it 2-1. The momentum had shifted so completely that it seemed to drain something from the visitors. Yet the afternoon was not without its complications. Mbappé had another goal ruled out for offside, and Güler saw a third Madrid goal disallowed when the ball struck his hand before crossing the line. The VAR interventions kept the match suspended in a state of minor chaos, even as Madrid's control became clearer.
Mallorca did not surrender. Samú Costa unleashed a powerful left-footed strike that Álvaro Carreras cleared off the line, and Valjent came close to leveling again, forcing Courtois into a crucial save. The visitors had moments where they might have stolen something from the Bernabéu, but Madrid's defense held firm. When the final whistle came, the home side had secured their third consecutive victory without conceding a point across the full ninety minutes—a clean sheet in terms of the final tally, even if the match itself had been messier than the scoreline suggested. Madrid now heads into the break knowing they have done what was asked of them, while Mallorca departs having shown enough to suggest they will not be easy prey for anyone.
Notable Quotes
The match was shaped by VAR interventions that kept the afternoon suspended in a state of minor chaos, even as Madrid's control became clearer.— Match analysis
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
What made that turnaround in the 37th and 38th minutes feel inevitable rather than lucky?
Because Madrid had been pressing and probing the whole time. Mallorca's goal was a good one—a clean header from a set piece—but it woke something up in the home side. When you have players like Güler and Vinícius, you're always one moment away from the game shifting.
How much did the VAR decisions shape the way the match felt?
They created this strange tension. Madrid was clearly the better team, but every time they scored, there was this pause. You'd see the net bulge and then wait to see if it counted. It made the victory feel less clean than it was.
Did Mallorca ever look like they could get something from this?
Yes, actually. That Samú Costa shot that Carreras cleared off the line—that was a real chance. And Valjent forced Courtois into a save. They had moments. But Madrid's experience and quality eventually wore them down.
What does a perfect start like this mean for the rest of the season?
It sets a tone. Nine points from three matches is what you want before the international break. It gives you breathing room and confidence. But it's only September. The real test comes when the fixtures pile up and injuries start to mount.
How important was Alexander-Arnold's performance in his debut?
He had that one moment early on with the pass to Mbappé that was ruled out. He looked composed, which matters for a player new to the league. But it's one match. You need to see more before you know if he's the answer to Madrid's right-back question.