Real Madrid secured a hard-fought victory against Mallorca with Antonio Rudiger’s late header being the decisive goal.
Despite Mallorca hitting the woodwork twice, Rudiger found the net in the 78th minute from Luka Modric’s corner.
Real Madrid remains unbeaten in 18 games across all competitions.
The win briefly put Real Madrid three points clear at the top of the league, but second-placed Girona scored with a 91st-minute winner against Atletico Madrid, making both teams equal on 48 points from 19 matches. Alvaro Morata had scored a hat-trick for Atletico, but the late goal by Ivan Martin secured the win for Girona.
Real take top spot heading into the second half of the season on superior goal difference.
This match was the first since manager Carlo Ancelotti’s commitment to Real Madrid until at least 2026, ending speculation he was going to quit in order to pursue the top job with the Brazilian national team. It also marked Vinicius Jr’s return from injury.
Despite Mallorca’s valiant performance Real secured the win with Rudiger’s goal, his first in the league since 2022.
