French football sensation Kylian Mbappe experienced a frustrating start to his La Liga journey with Real Madrid, as his debut match against Real Mallorca on Sunday ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw. Despite high expectations from fans and pundits alike, the former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star was unable to deliver a victory for his new team, leaving both him and the Madrid faithful longing for more.
Real Madrid, a team packed with world-class talent, struggled to break down the resilient defense of Real Mallorca at the Son Moix stadium. The match, which many expected to be a comfortable win for Madrid, turned out to be anything but. From the outset, it was clear that Mallorca had come prepared, determined to make life difficult for the Spanish giants.
The game began with promise for Madrid when Rodrygo, one of the club’s bright young stars, opened the scoring early in the first half. The Brazilian forward’s goal was met with cheers from the Madrid supporters, who anticipated a dominant performance to follow. However, Mallorca had other plans.
Kylian Mbappe, who had recently made the high-profile move from PSG to Real Madrid, was eager to make an impact in his first La Liga appearance. Unfortunately, the 25-year-old forward found himself repeatedly frustrated by Mallorca’s goalkeeper, Dominik Greif. Despite several attempts on goal, Mbappe was unable to find the back of the net, with Greif standing tall and making crucial saves to deny the Frenchman.
As the first half progressed, it became clear that Madrid was struggling to maintain control of the match. While they had chances to extend their lead, particularly through Mbappe, their efforts were thwarted by a well-organized Mallorca defense. The hosts, sensing that Madrid was not at their best, began to grow in confidence.
The turning point of the match came in the second half when Mallorca’s Vedat Muriqi rose high to meet a cross and powerfully headed the ball into the net, leveling the score at 1-1. The goal sent shockwaves through the Madrid camp, as the team realized they were now in a battle to avoid dropping points.
Real Madrid’s head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, was visibly displeased with his team’s performance. Speaking to reporters after the match, Ancelotti expressed his concerns about the lack of balance in Madrid’s play, particularly in the second half. “We went ahead, we had chances to score the second, and then in the second half we lacked balance,” Ancelotti said. “We conceded counter-attacks; it was not a good game. It was quite clear that we need to defend better and have better balance on the pitch.”
Ancelotti had fielded the same starting lineup that had triumphed over Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup just days earlier. The midfield, led by new signing Jude Bellingham, was expected to provide the creativity and control needed to dominate the match. However, despite the talents of Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Rodrygo in the attack, Madrid struggled to find the cohesion required to break down Mallorca’s defense.
Mbappe, who had scored in the Super Cup victory, was visibly frustrated as the match wore on. He had a few opportunities to put Madrid back in the lead, but his shots either missed the target or were saved by the impressive Greif. As the final whistle approached, it became clear that Mbappe’s La Liga debut would not be the dream start he had hoped for.
The reaction from fans was swift and, in some cases, harsh. On social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, fans vented their frustrations with the team’s performance and Mbappe’s inability to make the difference. One fan harshly labeled Mbappe a “biblical stinker,” while another described the match as a “disgraceful shambolic performance,” lamenting the “waste of 2 hours.”
Ancelotti, known for his calm and composed demeanor, did not mince words in his post-match assessment. “We have to do better, with more attitude,” the Italian coach stated. “This game can serve us to learn a lot from; it was quite clear where we had a problem. Mallorca had a very good game in a defensive sense, better than us.”
As Real Madrid looks ahead to the rest of the season, the team will need to address the issues that surfaced in this match. For Kylian Mbappe, the draw against Mallorca serves as a reminder that success in La Liga will not come easily, and that he will need to quickly adapt to the challenges of Spanish football if he is to lead Madrid to glory.
