Real Madrid managed to delay archrival Barcelona\u2019s La Liga title celebrations after scoring a dramatic winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time against visiting Real Mallorca, securing a 2-1 victory on Matchday 36 of the Spanish top flight.<\/p>
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Madrid strengthened their grip on second place with 78 points, temporarily reducing the gap to four points with Barcelona, who only need a win away to local rivals Espanyol on Thursday night to reclaim the title.<\/p>
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Just days after losing 3-4 to Barcelona\u2014a result that all but ended their title hopes\u2014Real Madrid entered the match with a squad missing several key players. Coach Carlo Ancelotti started young Brazilian striker Endrick alongside French star Kylian Mbapp\u00e9. Young defender Jacobo Ram\u00f3n (20 years old) also started at center-back next to Ra\u00fal Asensio.<\/p>
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Contrary to the flow of the game, Mallorca capitalized on Madrid\u2019s recent defensive fragility, with Slovakian Martin Valjent taking advantage of a through ball inside the box to fire a left-footed shot past Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois (11'), who was making his 200th La Liga appearance for the capital club.<\/p>
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That goal marked a negative milestone for Real Madrid, as the team equaled their worst defensive record across all competitions in a single season in the 21st century\u2014conceding 76 goals, a number last reached in the 2002\/2003 and 2003\/2004 seasons.<\/p>
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In the second half, Mbapp\u00e9\u2014who netted a hat-trick in the recent El Cl\u00e1sico\u2014equalized after receiving a pass from Croatian Luka Modri\u0107. He dribbled past two defenders and finished with a low right-footed shot into the bottom corner (69'), raising his tally to 28 league goals to lead the scoring charts, and 40 across all competitions.<\/p>
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With that goal, Mbapp\u00e9 achieved several individual milestones: he became the first player to score 28 goals in his debut La Liga season since Brazilian legend Ronaldo did so with Barcelona in 1996\/1997, scoring 34. He also became the first player to score 28 goals in his debut league season for Real Madrid, surpassing club legend Alfredo Di St\u00e9fano, who scored 27 in 1953\/1954. Additionally, he is now the second player to score 40 goals in all competitions in his debut season with a Spanish club after Ronaldo\u2019s 47 goals with Bar\u00e7a in 1996\/1997.<\/p>
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Mbapp\u00e9 is also the first French player to reach 40 goals across all competitions in three consecutive seasons while playing for clubs in Europe\u2019s top five leagues.<\/p>
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As the match neared its conclusion, Ram\u00f3n netted the winner after receiving a header from substitute Jes\u00fas Vallejo, finishing from close range to score his first professional goal (90+5').<\/p>
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Elsewhere, Villarreal moved closer to securing a UEFA Champions League spot after defeating visitors Legan\u00e9s 3-0, with goals from Ayoze P\u00e9rez (23', 31') and Ivorian Nicolas P\u00e9p\u00e9 (45').<\/p>
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The \u201cYellow Submarine\u201d raised their tally to 64 points, holding on to the fifth and final Champions League qualification spot, six points ahead of sixth-placed Real Betis, who face Rayo Vallecano later today.<\/p>
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Meanwhile, Deportivo Alav\u00e9s took a big step toward La Liga survival with a 1-0 victory over Valencia, thanks to a penalty converted by Juan Jord\u00e1n (79'). The win brought their total to 38 points in 17th place, four points clear of 18th-placed Legan\u00e9s, while Valencia remained at 45 points in 11th place.<\/p>","continue_text":"Continue Reading","main_heading":"Blog"},"yoast_head":"\n