The youngster has kept Carlo Ancelotti's side alive – although Barcelona can still become champions by beating Espanyol on Thursday night
Academy centre-back Jacobo Ramon played hero for Real Madrid on Wednesday night, keeping Los Blancos in the title race for at least another 24 hours with a 95th-minute winner to snatch a 2-1 victory over Mallorca. Madrid would hand the title to Barcelona if they failed to win, and after 94 minutes it seemed they would kiss their La Liga crown goodbye. But Ramon had other ideas, bagging the winner in his first league start.
Mallorca took a deserved lead after 10 minutes, winning the ball in the Madrid defensive third before marauding centre-back Martin Valjent smashed the ball into the bottom corner. Madrid spent the rest of the half peppering the Mallorca goal. Federico Valverde and Luka Modric both had efforts well denied, and Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham also forced saves out of the keeper.
Los Blancos got a deserved equaliser in the second period, when Mbappe smashed home – his 40th goal of the season. Madrid continued to have chances throughout the half, but the Mallorca defence held firm. Mbappe thought he had won it after 86 minutes, but Valjent nodded his shot off the line with the goal gaping. Academy striker Gonzalo Garcia came even closer, missing from four yards out after Fran Garcia's cross.
Eventually, it was a centre-back who got things done. A speculative ball fell to 20-year-old Ramon in the box, and the defender volleyed over the keeper from close range to grab a 95th-minute winner. It will likely mean little in the scope of the season, as Madrid will all-but-certainly cede the title to Barcelona. But for a brief moment, it's something to hold onto.
GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from the Santiago Bernabeu..
Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence
Thibaut Courtois (7/10):
Made a vital save at 1-1. Had pretty much nothing else on his hands.
Federico Valverde (6/10):
A solid showing at right-back, even if he had very little to do defensively. Put eight shots on goal.
Jacobo Ramon (8/10):
Played hero in his first La Liga start, bagging the late, late winner.
Raul Asencio (5/10):
Didn't put any pressure on the ball when Mallorca took the lead, and was removed with an apparent injury after 64 minutes.
Fran Garcia (5/10):
Scampered up and down the left without really creating much.
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Dani Ceballos (6/10):
Ran around, kept the ball moving, completed the most passes in the match – but was pretty miserable defensively.
Jude Bellingham (4/10):
Seemed intent on fouling pretty much everyone in the first half. Then refused to pass in the second, and didn't track back either. Very poor.
Luka Modric (7/10):
Created three chances, grabbed an assist, and got stuck in. Classy, as ever.
AFPAttack
Arda Guler (7/10):
Looked to make things happen and forced a couple of nice saves out of the keeper. Always improving.
Endrick (5/10):
Lively in the first half when there was space to run into. Poor in the second period when there wasn't.
Kylian Mbappe (7/10):
Deployed in his preferred left-wing position with Vinicius Jr out. Really dangerous, got his deserved goal, but could have fed open team-mates on a few occasions.
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Jesus Vallejo (6/10):
A strange cameo from Madrid's forgotten man.
Gonzalo Garcia (N/A):
Missed a big chance late in his only real involvement.
Carlo Ancelotti (6/10):
Went with pretty much his strongest XI given the injury situation. Got a late winner out of his side, somehow – even if he is just delaying the inevitable.