Barcelona’s La Liga Title Hopes Put on Hold as Real Madrid Snatch Late Win
In a thrilling encounter at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid snatched a 95th-minute winner against Mallorca, forcing Barcelona to wait another day for La Liga title glory. According to the BBC, Jacobo Ramon’s late strike sealed a dramatic comeback victory for Real Madrid, keeping Barcelona’s title celebrations on hold.
The match got off to a poor start for Real Madrid, with Martin Valjent drilling a fine low effort to give visitors Mallorca the lead in the Spanish capital. However, the hosts dominated the game, missing a host of chances before Kylian Mbappe found the bottom corner with a well-hit strike. As the BBC reported, Real Madrid continued to miss chances before Ramon’s close-range volley after some poor defending delivered the win.
Despite this comeback, the title is still highly likely to go to Barcelona, who are four points ahead at the top with a game in hand. The league was as good as won thanks to Sunday’s 4-3 Clasico win over Real, which was Barcelona’s fourth victory over their rivals this season. This includes wins in the finals of the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup.
Legendary boss Carlo Ancelotti is likely to end his final season at Real Madrid without a major trophy. He takes over as Brazil manager once this La Liga season ends, with Xabi Alonso expected to replace him in time for June’s Fifa Club World Cup. As the BBC noted, Ancelotti is the most successful boss in Real’s history, with 15 pieces of silverware, including three Champions League and two La Liga wins.
"We are happy because we want to finish the season well," Ancelotti said, as quoted by the BBC. "This game didn’t start well but afterwards we did very well in all senses." The win was a much-needed boost for Real Madrid, who have had a mixed season.
Barcelona will only need a point at rivals Espanyol on Thursday (20:30 BST) to wrap up the title. The Catalan side are on the brink of securing their first La Liga title in four years, and will be looking to make history in the coming days. As the BBC reported, Hansi Flick’s side were seconds away from being confirmed as champions without playing, only for Madrid to score with practically the last kick of the game at the Bernabeu.
In related news, Real Madrid’s win has kept their pride intact, but it may be a case of too little, too late for Ancelotti’s side. The team’s failure to secure a major trophy this season will be a disappointment, but they will be looking to end the season on a high note. As the BBC noted, Ancelotti’s last trophy came in December, with the win over Mexican side Pachuca in the Fifa Intercontinental Cup final in Qatar. With this in mind, Real Madrid will be looking to build on their late win and make a statement ahead of next season.
The BBC also reported that, "The team played very well. They fought a lot, played with a lot of intensity and it was a totally deserved victory," said Ancelotti. With this win, Real Madrid have shown that they still have what it takes to compete at the highest level, and will be looking to carry this form into next season.
