Kylian Mbappe‘s much-anticipated La Liga debut ended in disappointment as Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw by Mallorca at Mallorca Son Moix Stadium on Sunday night.
Fresh off his goal in the UEFA Super Cup, the French superstar was unable to find the back of the net as the defending champions dropped points on the opening day.
Rodrygo’s early strike gave Madrid the lead, but Mallorca responded with a powerful header from Vedat Muriqi to level the score. Despite dominating possession, Madrid struggled to break down a resilient Mallorca defense. To compound their frustrations, Ferland Mendy was sent off in stoppage time for a reckless challenge on Muriqi.
Mbappe, a marquee summer signing from Paris Saint-Germain and Ligue 1’s all-time top scorer, had opportunities to score. He narrowly missed the target with a shot and forced Mallorca goalkeeper Dominik Greif into a crucial save. The 25-year-old World Cup winner, making his first league appearance outside of France after beginning his career at Monaco, couldn’t find the decisive moment in his La Liga debut.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti voiced his frustrations after the match. “We went ahead, had chances to score the second, but in the second half we lacked balance,” Ancelotti told reporters. “We conceded counter-attacks, and it was not a good game. It was clear we need to defend better and maintain balance on the pitch.”
Ancelotti also challenged his players to show more intensity and resilience, pointing to defensive lapses as a major issue. “We have to do better, with more attitude,” the Italian coach added. “This game can teach us a lot. Mallorca had a very good game defensively, better than us.”
While Mbappe impressed in moments, he couldn’t provide the breakthrough as Real Madrid’s title defense began on a rocky note.
