Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti on Wednesday demanded a rapid reaction from his team after their capitulation against rivals Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.
Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Alejandro Balde were all on target before halftime, after French forward Kylian Mbappe put Real in front in the fifth minute. Raphinha grabbed another in the second half while Rodrygo scored for Real.
Kylian Mbappe put Madrid ahead but a dominant Barcelona hit five in response before their goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was sent off in the second half.
LaLiga leaders Real recovered from that setback and are on a five-match winning streak ahead of defending the Super Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but coach Carlo Ancelotti is cautious.
Last season, around this time, there was a surprise package in Girona in the top three of LaLiga. However, a year later, the Spanish league has returned to the status quo, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid -- the three giants of Spain -- occupying the top three spots on the table at the end of 2024.
Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo scored second-half goals to help Real to a 3-0 win over Mallorca after Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in the other last-four clash.
"Our player Luka Modric is out of the game against Mallorca today because of a viral illness," said the Spanish champions in a statement.
The Brazilian winger was dismissed in Madrid's 2-1 victory on Friday for pushing Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski in the back of the neck.
"(Luka) is a gift for football and even more for those who can enjoy it up close," Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "The fans, the players, the coach... for me it's a great gift. The way he prepares for this kind of match, as if it was a final. It's a very important example for our youngsters.
La Liga leaders Real Madrid stumbled to a frustrating 1-1 draw at neighbours Rayo Vallecano on Sunday but stretched their lead at the top to six points.
Robert Lewandowski's brace snatched champions Barcelona a 2-1 win over lowly Celta Vigo to leave them third in La Liga, trailing leaders Real Madrid by seven points.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti on Saturday steered away from talk of Kylian Mbappe signing for the Spanish giants in the summer at the end of his Paris Saint-Germain contract.
Barcelona have little room for error if they are to defend their LaLiga title, manager Xavi Hernandez said on Friday ahead of his side's trip to Celta Vigo.
Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe seems to be edging towards a Real Madrid move, with excitement already building in the Spanish capital.
“I am Jose Mourinho and I don’t change. I arrive with all my qualities and my defects,” Mourinho said it back in 2010 when he was announced as the manager of Real Madrid.
The German club were made to pay early in the second half when Diaz opened the scoring.
Star midfielder Jude Bellingham became the latest addition to the list, injuring his ankle in Saturday's 4-0 league win over Girona.
Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos on Monday doubled down on his criticism of players moving to Saudi Arabia, due to the human rights situation in the country.
Regarding his thunderbolt, Vinicius added: “I don't tend to shoot from outside the box but I felt confident and I didn't get to play the last game and it came off. I'm thrilled but now we have to rest up before Tuesday."
