Three players emerge as main culprits for Real Madrid after shock defeat to Mallorca | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s hopes of reclaiming their La Liga title suffered a catastrophic blow on Saturday evening as they slumped to a shock 2-1 defeat against Mallorca.

What was already a mounting pressure cooker in the title race has now turned into a nightmare for Alvaro Arbeloa’s side.

Following Barcelona’s dramatic late victory over Atletico Madrid later that day, the gap at the top of the table has widened to a daunting seven points with only eight matches remaining in the season.

The main accused: A defensive collapse

In the wake of the disaster in Mallorca, Ok Diario reports that Real Madrid have singled out three specific individuals whose performances directly contributed to the loss.

Eduardo Camavinga is at the forefront of the criticism after an uncharacteristically poor display in the heart of the midfield.

The Frenchman erred significantly in tracking Manu Morlanes for Mallorca’s opening goal and was guilty of losing possession repeatedly during a frantic first half.

These turnovers prevented Madrid from establishing any rhythm and ultimately caused the entire defensive structure to collapse under pressure.

Camavinga’s performance against Mallorca is being questioned. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Joining him in the spotlight is Trent Alexander-Arnold, who faced heavy scrutiny for his perceived lack of defensive intensity.

While the Englishman did provide a high-quality delivery for Éder Militão’s 88th-minute equaliser, his defensive work was described as weak throughout the ninety minutes.

Critics pointed to a lack of sufficient effort in tracking back, leaving the right flank exposed to Mallorca’s rapid transitions.

The third culprit identified is the young Alvaro Carreras, whose failure to close down spaces in the dying moments allowed Vedat Muriqi to net a dramatic stoppage-time winner.

Offensively, Carreras offered very little to the attack, failing to provide the width or crossing quality required to break down a resilient home side.

With the title now firmly in Barcelona’s hands, Real Madrid must regroup quickly for their Champions League clash against Bayern Munich.