Rodrygo inspired Real Madrid to a 4-1 win against Mallorca with a fine goal and assist to ensure they kept up their perfect start to the season.

Mallorca stunned Madrid through Vedat Muriqi's 35th-minute header, before Fede Valverde brought the two sides level with a thunderbolt from the edge of the area.

Vinicius Junior then finished off a move started by fellow Brazil international Rodrygo in the 72nd minute before Rodrygo produced an excellent solo effort himself.

Antonio Rudiger put further gloss on the victory when he got on the end of a Toni Kroos free-kick in stoppage time -- meaning Carlo Ancelotti's side have now won their first five league games and their first seven in all competitions.

"I focus on the goals, they were great quality," Ancelotti said. "Rodrygo and Vinicius combined well for his [Vinicius'] goal, it was important to go ahead, and after that it was easier.

"It was complicated with the heat and the fact we conceded a set piece, all predictable, but in the end we kept cool heads and little-by-little we came back into the game and won."

Madrid were without Karim Benzema after his injury against Celtic in the Champions League and their toothlessness showed in the first half as they were largely restricted to shots from distance.

Eden Hazard was handed a rare start -- his first since January -- as a False No.9 before being replaced in the 59th minute, but Ancelotti said the Belgium international was not to blame for Madrid's problems in the first half.

"The team knew how to cope without Karim, that's important for confidence, but we want to get Karim back as soon as possible," Ancelotti said.

"It was difficult in the first half, not because Hazard was at centre-forward. It was difficult because the position when he dropped off wasn't occupied by the others.

"In the future I have the same idea -- sometimes I could play with Rodrygo at centre-forward, or Hazard at centre-forward with Rodrygo out wide. It's harder to do it with Valverde out wide."

Muriqi had tested Thibaut Courtois in the opening minute of the game, and the striker put the visitors ahead when he appeared unmarked at the back post to head home a free-kick from Kang-In Lee.

But Valverde scored a sensational equaliser in first-half stoppage time when he made a surging run from his own half before unleashing a fierce shot with his left boot from the edge of the area.

Mallorca spurned a golden chance to retake the lead in the 64th minute when substitute Clement Grenier cut back for fellow replacement Antonio Sanchez, who fired wide from close range.

And they were made to regret that when Rodrygo made an intelligent run forward and offloaded for Vinicius to chip a delicate finish past Mallorca keeper Predrag Rajkovic.

Rodrygo then made sure of the victory in the 89th minute with a brilliant run before leaving two defenders in his wake and slotting past Rajkovic.

There was still time for Rudiger to score his first goal for Real, however, as he took full advantage of a pinpoint delivery from Kroos.

Source:
courtesy of ESPN

by ESPN

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