Real Madrid News
How Mallorca used the vulnerability of Real Madrid star to their own advantage
Real Madrid’s season reached a precarious crossroads following a shock 2-1 defeat to Mallorca, a result that has placed immense pressure on the future of manager Alvaro Arbeloa.
With the team now trailing Barcelona by seven points in La Liga, the upcoming Champions League clash against Bayern Munich has become the definitive turning point for the club’s campaign.
Central to the fallout was the return of Kylian Mbappe, who made his first start in 42 days after being sidelined since late February.
How Mallorca utilised Mbappe’s vulnerability
As reported by Diario SPORT, Mallorca’s tactical masterclass focused heavily on exploiting the defensive vulnerabilities introduced by the Frenchman’s return.
Data from Cadena SER suggests that Mbappe currently puts the least defensive pressure on opponents of any player in Europe’s top leagues.
Mallorca took full advantage of this lack of work rate by consistently directing their buildup play down his flank, creating constant numerical superiority.
This disconnection was most evident during Mallorca’s opening goal, where a lack of tracking from the forward line left the midfield out of position and allowed Maffeo a clear highway to exploit.
Even with the presence of Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior, the so-called “Holy Trinity” failed to salvage a result.
Mbappe struggled individually, recording an expected goals (xG) rating of just 0.55 across three shots on goal, two of which were comfortably blocked.
The match once again exposed the positional friction between Mbappe and Vinícius, as both players naturally gravitated toward the left wing, leaving the central area devoid of a consistent scoring threat.
Arbeloa now faces the daunting task of rebalancing a squad as his team takes on the mighty Bayern Munich this midweek.
In a major update, AS reports that former Real Madrid midfielder and club legend Toni Kroos has taken his first step towards starting his coaching career.
The former Germany international has told the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) that he is interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers.
Real Madrid tried to bring Kroos back
It is no secret that Real Madrid considered bringing Toni Kroos back into the club’s structure after the end of the last season.
The club president, Florentino Perez, had wanted Kroos to have a daily presence at Valdebebas rather than making occasional appearances after his retirement.
Jose Angel Sanchez and Kroos spoke after Perez expressed his desire to see the German working at Valdebebas every day. However, they did not find the right moment, time or structure to give his return a clear form.
A comeback remains one of the possibilities most desired by Madrid supporters because of Kroos’ charisma and what he represents at the Santiago Bernabeu. Neither side wanted him to return simply for the sake of it, so the door remains open for the future.
The relationship between the two parties is excellent, and both know that the opportunity to work together again will eventually come.
Taking it step by step
For now, Kroos continues to run the academy he established in Boadilla, enjoying the opportunity to help develop younger players.
After two years away from the competitive side of football, however, he is beginning to look towards the dugout as a possible next step in his career.
Kroos currently holds coaching qualifications that allow him to work up to the third tier of Spanish football.
This is possible because professionals with at least seven years of proven experience and significant involvement at the elite level can gain direct access to accelerated coaching courses.
That means Kroos could coach a team in Primera Federacion, but the German wants to take things gradually.
Kroos has already informed the RFEF that he would be interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers during the 2027/28 season.
The course taking place this season is not available to elite former players, with UEFA limiting each campaign to 20 places.
With his current qualifications, Kroos could work as an assistant coach, but he cannot yet take charge as a head coach in either the top flight or the Segunda División.
But completing that programme would allow Kroos to obtain the UEFA A licence, which would enable him to coach teams at any level.
