Spanish La Liga – Real Madrid 0-0 vs. Real Mallorca: Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid held in opener
Jose Mourinho did not have the start to the Spanish La Liga season that he would have hoped for. The prolific manager began his managerial career in Spain with a nil all draw away from home at Mallorca.
Mourinho was snapped up by Real Madrid after the manager made history with Inter Milan by making it the first Italian team to go on to win the treble. The manager’s arrival at the Bernabeu had automatically raised everyone's expectations and it is still strongly believed that the Portuguese manager has what it takes to end Barcelona's La Liga winning streak.
All the summer signings that the manager made, which include Ricardo Carvalho, Angel Di Maria, Sergio Canales, Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira, were given some playing time; however, neither one of them were able to overcome a tough Mallorca side that didn't seem to want to lose at their home stadium.
The match initially got underway with Real Madrid retaining most of the possession. Fourteen minutes into the game, Ronaldo had the first real chance of the game after a flick by Higuain set the forward up, but his rising shot just flashed past the top corner of the far post.
Two minutes later, Ronaldo was at it again: after beating a couple of players with a mazy run, the player unleashed a shot from twenty five odd yards but had his shot saved by the keeper.
Canales unleashed Higuain in front of the opposition goal with a delicate through ball, but Ruben intervened in time to knock the forward off the ball.
Mallorca were building on confidence and on the thirty-eight minute mark, Castro unleashed a shot that beat both Iker Casillas and the post and went behind for a goal kick; had the ball swerved inwards it would have given the home team a surprise lead.
The first-half ended with the scores being level at nil all.
The second half got underway in the same manner that the first half ended. Real Madrid were the more threatening of the two teams and were creating more chances, but they just didn't seem capable of finishing in front of the goal.
Ronaldo was doing his best to break the deadlock; however, one man alone can't beat a team of eleven, even if that one man is Cristiano Ronaldo.
To Mallorca's credit, the home team also created a number of chances but with a strengthened Madrid back-line, the team just didn't look like they were going to be conceding any goals any time soon.
The best chance of the match fell to Karim Benzema in the stoppage time of the game. The ball somehow managed to fall into the path of the French striker, who scuffed a shot from twelve yards out and safely into the hands of the keeper. That chance should have been converted and the score-line should have read one goal to nil in favour of Madrid, but that was not the case.
The match soon ended to both the teams’ disappointment as a draw.
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