The defeat is all mine, says Real Madrid boss Arbeloa as decision to leave out Vinicius Jr backfires in Mallorca
Real Madrid's title hopes suffered a major setback with defeat at Real Mallorca this afternoon
Real Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa admitted the blame for this afternoon’s stunning defeat at Real Mallorca lay with him but refused to concede the title to Barcelona.
It looked as though Madrid had salvaged a draw when substitute Eder Militao cancelled out Manu Morlanes’ opener with two minutes to go. But Muriqi struck his 19th league goal of a remarkable season to deny Madrid a point and move Mallorca out of the bottom three.
It was a miserable afternoon for the visitors, and Arbeloa in particular, with his decision to leave Vinicius Jr on the bench until the hour mark backfiring spectacularly.
Arbeloa said: “This defeat is mine, absolutely mine. What I need from them [the players] is that they are already thinking about Tuesday’s game. I am the one who makes the decisions and this defeat is absolutely on the Real Madrid coach and I need my players to believe in winning Tuesday’s game. When they leave the locker room they only have to think about Bayern.”
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Barcelona in pole position after Real Madrid slip-up
Asked to assess his side’s title chances, Arbeloa added: “It’s harder now than before starting this game. We have eight games left and no matter how the league looks, as I have told the players, our next goal is to win the remaining eight. We have to play better than today.”
Madrid played well in the first half but could not find a way past home goalkeeper Leo Roman.
Morlanes scored against the run of play after 42 minutes and it seemed like Madrid had run out of ideas only for the returning Militao, making his first appearance in nearly four months due to a hamstring injury, to head in Trent Alexander-Arnold’s corner.
Mallorca were not done, though, and they won it in the first of five added minutes when Mateo Joseph laid the ball off to Muriqi and he took it in his stride before firing past Andriy Lunin and then collapsing to the turf in tears.
“For me it is easy to see the difficulty of the game, of the rival,” said Arbeloa. “The difficult thing is that the players understand that today without 200% effort we would not win. In a game in which we were superior, it’s a mistake that costs us a goal. When you don’t get it right you end up paying for it. Not having done a better second half is what hurts me the most of all.”
Next up for Madrid is Tuesday night’s Champions League quarter-final, first leg against Bayern Munich.
Arbeloa is adamant today’s setback won’t damage the team’s mentality ahead of the game at the Santiago Bernabeu.
“He said: “No. I know what my players are capable of. We understand the importance of Tuesday’s game. There are days when it’s not your day, that things don’t work out. On Tuesday the demand will be maximum and I know the support that the Real Madrid fans are going to give us. With them everything is easier.”
Muriqi makes up for double disappointment with winner
It was a dismal day for Madrid but a joyous one for Mallorca and, in particular, Muriqi, who missed a 92nd-minute penalty that would have given his side a draw at Elche last time out.
He also had to deal with Kosovo’s play-off defeat to Turkey on Tuesday night that denied his country a place at this summer’s World Cup finals.
He was visibly emotional after the goal, telling Movistar afterwards: “It’s been a very difficult two weeks… the emotions and the nerves. I’m human. I just missed a penalty in Elche in a complicated match. Then losing the final to qualify with Kosovo for the World Cup in what was the dream of my life. Today with this goal, winning 2-1… Thank you very much to the fans for the enormous support and what you have given me. I hope we stay in the Primera.”