Aurelien Tchouameni’s goal helps Los Blancos stay on track for winning the Liga title.

Aurelien Tchouameni, the Real Madrid midfielder, was the hero of the match as he celebrated scoring the first goal for his side in their LaLiga EA Sports clash against RCD Mallorca. The game, which took place at Estadi de Son Moix in Mallorca, Spain, was a physical encounter between the 15th-placed Mallorca and the league leaders, Real Madrid.

Carlo Ancelotti, the Real Madrid manager, had one eye on the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg and therefore opted to rest several players. His starting 11 reflected his intention to secure the three points without going all guns blazing against the relegation-threatened Mallorca.

In the first half, Mallorca adopted a bullying approach that managed to stifle the superstars of Real Madrid. Despite committing nine fouls, they received only one yellow card, which was a decent trade-off for keeping a clean sheet against Madrid. Manager Javier Aguirre would have been pleased with this outcome at half-time.

The closest either team came to scoring in the opening period was a magnificent effort from Jude Bellingham, who unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box. Mallorca goalkeeper Predrag Rajokovic was well beaten, but unfortunately for Bellingham, his strike hit the crossbar. It was the kind of shot that makes people believe hitting the woodwork should be considered as on target.

Mallorca started the second half with the same intent as the first, but their lack of concentration proved costly. Within three minutes, Tchouameni found himself with too much space on the edge of the box. Taking advantage of a clumsy clearance, the Frenchman lined up his strike and unleashed a powerful shot with his right foot, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.

For the rest of the match, Real Madrid were content to allow Mallorca to have more possession without creating any meaningful chances. The home side lacked new ideas and failed to capitalize on their ball possession.

With this victory, Real Madrid secured three valuable points, extending their lead to 10 points over Barcelona, who were set to play against Cadiz later in the evening. While Mallorca are now closer to relegation, there are still worse sides in the league this season.