Antonio Rüdiger scored his first goal of the season on Wednesday, securing a 1-0 win for Real Madrid against Mallorca. This win allowed them to maintain their position at the top of the Spanish League in front of their home fans. The German defender scored a header from the heart of the box, connecting with a corner kick delivered by Luka Modric and breaking the deadlock in the 78th minute.
This win brings Real Madrid’s points total to 48, which was later matched by Girona, their closest rival. Girona secured a 4-3 victory against Atlético Madrid, who currently sit third in the league with 38 points. Barcelona is in fourth place with 38 points and will play against Las Palmas on Thursday.
“I scored against them last year and this year too. I’m happy because it was an important goal and three crucial points for us,” said Rüdiger. “This team has something special, a good mix between young players and veterans.”
Real Madrid once again secured a victory in the final minutes of the game, as they did in the final match of 2023 with a 1-0 win against Alavés, successfully defending their top spot in the championship.
In their return to the league after the year-end break, star winger Vinicius Junior made a comeback, playing for 60 minutes after missing a month and a half due to injury. Vinicius was the most threatening player in white; he had a couple of chances to score before halftime but was stopped by precise saves from goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic.
The Serbian Mallorca keeper emerged as a hero early in the second half, deflecting a goal-bound shot from Rodrygo Goes, which Brahim Díaz failed to convert as his header hit the post.
The Bermellón side also came close to taking the lead before halftime after a header by Antonio Sánchez hit the crossbar and bounced on the line near the end of the first half.
During the second half of the game, Samú Costa took a long-range shot that hit the base of the post, putting pressure on Madrid. Despite the leadership of Mexican coach Javier Aguirre, Mallorca’s unbeaten streak of four matches was broken, leaving them in 14th place with 18 points. The Merengues’ next match will be against Arandina in the 32nd round of the Copa del Rey on Saturday. After that, they will travel to Saudi Arabia to compete in the Spanish Super Cup, facing off against Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, and Osasuna.
“GIRONA WINS AT HOME AGAINST ATLÉTICO”
In a dramatic finish, Girona secured a 4-3 victory over Atlético Madrid with a stoppage-time winner from Iván Martín. The win solidifies Girona’s position in the battle for the top spot alongside Real Madrid.
Valery Fernández opened the scoring for Girona in the 2nd minute, followed by goals from Sávio in the 26th minute and Daley Blind in the 39th minute. These goals capitalized on defensive errors by Atlético in the first half.
Álvaro Morata, on the other hand, marked his first hat-trick for Atlético with goals in the 14th, 44th, and 54th minutes. With these goals, he brought his tally to 12 in the season and 17 across all competitions, his best performance in a season with the Red and Whites.
Girona’s 15th win of the season helped them reach 48 points and stay in the race with Real Madrid. Meanwhile, Atlético Madrid falls behind in the league battle, remaining in 3rd place with 38 points.
“OTHER RESULTS”
Williot Swedberg scored a goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time to give Celta de Vigo a 2-1 home victory over Betis.
Aitor Ruibal put Betis ahead in the sixth minute; Iago Aspas leveled for the Galician side from the penalty spot in the 16th minute. Swedberg sealed the win in the final stretch.
The victory lifted Celta out of the relegation zone, placing them in 17th position with 16 points; Betis remained 7th with 28 points.
In another match, with goals from Myrto Uzuni (22nd minute) and Bryan Zaragoza (70th), Granada celebrated only their second win of the season with a 2-0 victory at home against Cádiz.
Granada continues in the relegation zone, sitting in 19th place with 11 points; Cádiz dropped to 18th place with 15 points.
This post originally appeared on Santamariatimes
