Vinícius Júnior Shines as Real Madrid Edge Mallorca in Thriller

On August 30th, 2025, Real Madrid returned to the Santiago Bernabéu stadium looking to maintain their perfect start to the La Liga season under new manager Xabi Alonso. The hosts made some eye-catching squad decisions, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Éder Militão, and Vinícius Júnior all returning to the starting lineup.

The match got off to an exciting start, with Kylian Mbappé finding the back of the net in the 7th minute, only for the goal to be disallowed by VAR. Mallorca then took the lead through a header from Vedat Muriqi in the 35th minute, putting Real Madrid behind for the first time this season.

However, the home side responded quickly, with Arda Güler equalizing in the 57th minute. Just a minute later, Vinícius Júnior produced a moment of individual brilliance, driving forward and firing home the winning goal to turn the game around.

Real Madrid thought they had a third goal through Güler in the 55th minute, but it was disallowed for a handball in the build-up. The hosts held on to secure all three points, despite a nervy finish, and move to the top of the La Liga table.