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Real Madrid continued their perfect start to the 2025-26 LaLiga season with a 2-1 victory over Mallorca at Santiago Bernabeu.
The night belonged to Arda Guler, who scored one and had another controversially disallowed.
The visitors stunned the Madrid crowd early on as Vedat Muriqi found the net in the 18th minute, putting Mallorca 1-0 ahead. Kylian Mbappe had already seen his effort ruled out for offside in the 7th minute, leaving Real chasing the game.
Just when pressure was mounting, Türkiye’s rising star stepped up. In the 37th minute, Dean Huijsen delivered a perfect cross to the far post, where Arda Guler headed home from close range to make it 1-1.
Only a minute later, Vinicius Junior struck to give Madrid a 2-1 lead heading into halftime.
Early in the second half, Guler thought he had scored his second of the night. Picking up a loose ball in the box, he finished calmly to send Madrid fans into celebration.
However, the referee ruled the goal out for handball, sparking heated debate as replays showed Guler had tucked his arm close to his body to protect himself.
Despite the controversy, Real Madrid held firm and secured all three points. Real Madrid now sits with three wins from three games, as new coach Xabi Alonso continues to revive Guler’s role in the team after a tough previous season.
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