Real Madrid maintained their slim LaLiga title hopes with a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory against Real Mallorca, thanks to a 95th-minute winner from academy product Jacobo Ramón on his first start at the Santiago Bernabéu.
After falling behind to Martin Valjent’s early goal, Madrid equalized through Kylian Mbappé in the second half before Jacobo’s dramatic late intervention prevented Barcelona from being crowned champions for at least another matchday.
“We didn’t give up, despite having 12 injured players, which is very unusual,” Carlo Ancelotti said in his post-match press conference. “I’d never seen a team have 40 shots on goal like we did today. We believe in doing our thing, winning what’s left, and seeing what happens.”
The victory keeps Madrid mathematically in the title race, though they remain four points behind Barcelona with limited matches remaining. The Catalan club can still secure the championship by beating Espanyol on Thursday or in their subsequent fixtures.
Real Madrid’s resilience was particularly impressive given their injury crisis, with only 10 first-team players available after late withdrawals from Andriy Lunin and Brahim Díaz. Ancelotti praised the team’s extraordinary effort and highlighted the contributions of squad players like Jacobo and defender Jesús Vallejo, who provided the assist for the winning goal despite not having played since September.
“I’ve dreamed of this all my life,” Jacobo said after scoring his first goal for the club. “There’s no better way to score my first goal than this.”
The match also saw Mbappé reach a significant milestone, becoming the first Madrid player to score 40 goals in his debut season. His 28 league goals surpass the record set by club legend Alfredo di Stéfano in the 1953-54 season.
