Real Madrid suffer shock loss in Mallorca
PALMA, MALLORCA: Real Madrid’s unbeaten start to the La Liga season came to an abrupt and surprising end as Real Mallorca claimed a stunning 1-0 victory at a rocking Son Moix on Saturday to climb out of the relegation zone.
The Balearic Islanders had only managed six goals in their opening eight games of their first season back in the big time, but one was enough to down their illustrious visitors.
It was a cracker too, thrashed home in the seventh minute by Ivorian Lago Junior who with one swing of his right foot wrote his name into Mallorcan sporting folklore alongside tennis great Rafa Nadal who celebrated his wedding earlier.
Local boy Nadal is a Real Madrid fan but surely would have raised a glass in honour of Lago Junior and the fighting spirit of a team written off a relegation fodder before the season.
Real Madrid, 5-0 winners on their most recent trip to the island in 2012, were without several big names including Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Toni Kroos and Eden Hazard, but could have no complaints as they failed to function.
Defeat cost them the chance of reclaiming top spot from Barcelona who won earlier in the day and they will have to bounce back quickly with a crucial Champions League group stage clash against Galatasaray on Tuesday having picked up only one point in their opening two matches.
A disgruntled Zidane refused to use the absentees as a reason for the loss.
“These players are injured, and we have others who are good too. But they must show that every time they play, that they have the level to play for Madrid. Today we didn’t,” he said.
“We must be more consistent if we are to do anything good this year, have more life in our play. Today we didn’t have that.
“Our start to the game was very bad.
“In second half we did not create many clear chances, we lacked a bit of everything today.”
It was no smash and grab raid by Vicente Moreno’s Mallorca who produced a tenacious display full of energy to beat Real for the first time since 2006, sparking wild celebrations.
“There were times we lacked peace of mind and suffered, but in the end we had some luck,” Moreno told reporters after the game.