Barcelona's coronation as La Liga champions will have to wait for at least another day, after Real Madrid pulled off a dramatic 2-1 win over Mallorca on Wednesday evening. A last-gasp strike by teenager Jacobo Ramon torpedoed Barca's bid to wrap up the title before Thursday night's match against Espanyol.
Real Madrid B-player Ramon produced a moment of magic with a delightful flick over Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Roman in the closing seconds of a game destined for a draw—a outcome that would have put Barcelona's championship position on ice without even needing to kick a ball.
Mallorca had taken an early lead in the 11th minute through Martin Valjent, capitalizing on the Real Madrid team ravaged by injuries. Los Blancos kept pushing, with Endrick, Jude Bellingham, and Kylian Mbappe all denied by a miraculous Roman, who had a night's work of 11 saves to his name.
Mbappe finally broke the impasse in the second half, equalized the score, and set the stage for a merciless Madrid comeback that was sealed by Ramon's match-winning goal. The victory keeps the title race alive mathematically, though for a little while longer.
Villarreal Shore Up European Hopes, Leganes in Trouble
Elsewhere, Villarreal got within striking distance of Champions League qualification with a thumping win over Leganes. Ayoze Perez scored twice, in the 22nd and 30th minutes, to give the Yellow Submarine a strong lead, with Nicolas Pepe scoring a third at halftime. The win puts Villarreal on the same number of points as fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao.
The loss puts Leganes in grave relegation jeopardy, especially after relegation target Alaves collected a crucial 1-0 victory over Valencia. Joan Jordan's 79th-minute penalty, awarded following a contentious foul by Valencia stopper Giorgi Mamardashvili on Santiago Mourino, sealed the victory. Alaves are four points clear of Leganes with two remaining games to be contested.
To have any chance of survival, Leganes must win both of their remaining games—against Valladolid and Las Palmas—and hope that Alaves doesn't take more than one point from its games against Valladolid and Osasuna.
Las Palmas Relegated After Sevilla Defeat
Meanwhile, Tuesday's 1-0 defeat by Sevilla sealed the relegation of Las Palmas from La Liga. In the victory, Sevilla sealed their place in the top flight for next season.
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