Real Madrid’s Jacobo Ramon scored a dramatic winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time to secure a 2-1 LaLiga victory over Mallorca on Wednesday, preventing Barcelona from clinching the title for the time being.
Barcelona were on the verge of celebrating the league title as a 1-1 draw would have given them an insurmountable six-point lead in the standings, thanks to their superior head-to-head record.
However, a defensive error by Mallorca, who failed to clear a cross from inside their penalty area, allowed centre-back Ramon, making his first league start, to seize the loose ball and volley it into the back of the net, keeping Real Madrid’s faint title aspirations alive.
While Madrid have two matches remaining, they trail leaders Barcelona by four points. Barca, who have a game in hand, will secure their 28th LaLiga title on Thursday if they defeat their city rivals Espanyol.
A well-placed angled shot from inside the box by defender Martin Valjent in the 11th minute gave Mallorca the lead in a subdued match played at a half-empty Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Kylian Mbappe equalized with a brilliant individual effort in the 68th minute for a depleted Real Madrid side, who were missing 12 players due to injuries.
Mallorca withstood sustained pressure from Madrid as the home side pushed for a winning goal. Goalkeeper Leo Roman delivered an outstanding performance, frustrating the hosts who dominated proceedings with over 72% possession, winning 26 corners, and registering a remarkable 39 scoring attempts compared to Mallorca’s mere four.
Roman made 11 crucial saves to deny Real Madrid, who also squandered several opportunities throughout the match.
“Mallorca are a good team. They scored the goal and then dropped off a bit. We had a lot of chances, their goalkeeper played a great game, but in the end we managed to win,” unlikely hero Ramon told Real Madrid TV.
“This is inexplicable, I’ve dreamed about it all my life. This shirt is until the end, and there is no better way to score my first goal than like this.”
