Mbappé et al - Mallorca’s matchday one

Real Mallorca’s new coach Jagoba Arrasate might have hoped for a less exacting fixture for the opening game of the new season, but Real Madrid it is.

While Mallorca have their new players, none of them are in quite the same league as Kylian Mbappé, Madrid’s coach Carlo Ancelotti trusting that the French star will contribute to a first matchday win in defence of the La Liga title. And Ancelotti also has Jude Bellingham to call on ... and Vinicius Jr ... and, the list goes on.

So, it’s a star-studded start at the Son Moix, Arrasate nevertheless looking for a promising beginning and rather better than the 2023/24 result - 15th, a full 55 points adrift of Madrid.