Chapter 116: Turning the Tables
"Mallorca takes the lead on the road! A brilliant chip from Luke breaks the deadlock! After sixty minutes of stalemate, the first goal has finally arrived. But it's not the home side, Real Madrid, that has scored—it's the visitors, Mallorca!"
"Thirty minutes remain! If Madrid can't score at least two goals while keeping Mallorca from finding the net, their perfect home record will end at seven wins. Their overall winning streak will stop at eight. This is a golden opportunity for Valencia, Deportivo La Coruña, and Barcelona to close the gap! And even Mallorca—though currently fourteen points behind Madrid—would cut into that lead with a victory here..."
Despite Mallorca's recent strong form—winning six of their last eight matches—Madrid had been even more dominant, stringing together eight consecutive victories. This growing gap was exactly why José hadn't placed too much weight on this match's result. Right now, Mallorca wasn't a direct competitor for Madrid. Their true rivals were Valencia, Deportivo, and Barcelona, while Mallorca was battling for position against the likes of Rayo Vallecano, Málaga, Alavés, and Las Palmas—the difference between Champions League contenders and UEFA Cup hopefuls.
However, beating Madrid could propel Mallorca into that elite group. That was why José took this game seriously.
Important? Yes. Essential? Not necessarily. That was how Mallorca approached the match, playing with high energy but without crippling pressure. And now, with a 1-0 lead, they were being rewarded for it.
Following the restart, Madrid pressed forward aggressively, while Mallorca, under José's instructions, dropped into a compact defensive shape.
The fullbacks stopped pushing forward, and with three midfielders sitting deep, Mallorca swiftly shifted from contesting midfield battles to executing a tight defensive blockade.
Five minutes later, José made his first substitution. Campano replaced George. Attacking from the fullback position was no longer necessary, and while Campano could contribute offensively, his greatest strengths were his defensive work rate and physicality—qualities George lacked.
With Campano on the right, Mallorca finally stabilized that flank. He wasn't the fastest player, but he was solid. Unlike George, whose declining acceleration often left him vulnerable to Carlos' bursts of speed, Campano had better defensive positioning. He wasn't going to stop Carlos outright, but he could contain him and deny him easy inside routes.