Real Madrid once again showcased their trademark comeback spirit with a 2-1 victory over Mallorca at the Santiago Bernabeu in Round 3 of La Liga 2025/26.
Manager Xabi Alonso continued his squad rotation policy as Real Madrid welcomed Mallorca at home.
The match marked the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Vinicius Jr to the starting lineup. The English full-back made an impact as early as the 7th minute with a long pass over the top for Kylian Mbappe to break through and score, but VAR ruled the goal out for a razor-thin offside.
While Real Madrid’s attack was still struggling to find rhythm, Mallorca surprisingly broke the deadlock in the 18th minute. From Pablo Torre’s corner, Vedat Muriqi rose highest and delivered a powerful header past Courtois.
The goal sparked Mbappe and his teammates into action, and they equalized in the 37th minute. Carreras crossed the ball for Dean Huijsen, who headed it down into the path of Arda Guler, allowing the youngster to nod home and level the score.
Just a minute later, Fede Valverde intercepted smartly before setting up Vinicius, who showcased his brilliant dribbling to finish clinically and put Real Madrid 2-1 ahead.
In the closing minutes of the first half, Real kept piling on the pressure, and Mbappe was once again denied a goal by VAR for offside.
In the second half, Güler looked set to score a brace, but VAR ruled the goal out after determining a handball in the buildup. Mallorca pushed forward in the latter stages, but Courtois and a solid backline ensured Real held firm.
In the end, Real Madrid secured a 2-1 victory, making it three wins out of three and temporarily moving to the top of La Liga with a perfect nine points.