MADRID: Real Madrid recovered from a goal down to beat Mallorca 2-1 at the Bernabeu on Saturday as the home side made light of having three goals chalked off after VAR reviews to make it three wins out of three in La Liga this season.
What should have been a comfortable victory for the home side left fans with their nerves jangling, however, and they needed a goalline clearance from Alvaro Carreras to secure the three points.
Kylian Mbappe was the first to have a goal overturned by VAR when he pounced to score from a superb ball by Trent Alexander-Arnold in the seventh minute, but the review found him to be marginally offside.
Mallorca took a shock lead 11 minutes later when striker Vedat Muriqi muscled his way into the middle of the penalty area at a corner to steer the ball into the net with a combination of his back and shoulder.
Real levelled in the 37th minute after a superbly-worked corner that led to Dean Huijsen teeing up 20-year-old Arda Guler to score with a close-range header.
Vinicius Jr gave his side the lead a minute later, surging forward before cutting back on to his left foot and sending a bouncing shot low into the far corner.
Without a win this season, Mallorca played a clever game and tried to hit Madrid on the break, but the home side had too much quality in attack, and Mbappe had another goal chalked off in first-half stoppage time.
Guler was the next to taste disappointment as his effort 10 minutes after the break was ruled out when a VAR review found him guilty of handball in the build-up, and the home side had Carreras to thank when he pulled off a tremendous goalline clearance to prevent Mallorca from equalising.
Real Madrid rally to beat Mallorca 2-1 despite VAR woes
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Real Madrid rally to beat Mallorca 2-1 despite VAR woes
- Without a win this season, Mallorca played a clever game and tried to hit Madrid on the break, but the home side had too much quality in attack
Euro 2028 to kick off in Cardiff, final set for Wembley
- The semifinals and one quarter-final will also be held at Wembley
- “At UEFA EURO 2028, we will all speak football – loud, clear and united,” UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said
LONDON: Cardiff will host the opening match of the 2028 European Championship on June 9, with the final scheduled for London’s Wembley Stadium on July 9, tournament organizers UEFA announced on Wednesday.
The tournament, co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, will feature 51 matches involving 24 nations across nine venues in eight cities, also including Birmingham, Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.
The semifinals and one quarter-final will also be held at Wembley, while the other last-eight matches will be staged in Dublin, Glasgow and Cardiff.
Matches in the round of 16 will be distributed across all host venues, with the exception of Wembley. Host nations that qualify for the tournament directly will see their group-stage matches played on home soil.
“At UEFA EURO 2028, we will all speak football – loud, clear and united,” UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said in a statement.
“The host nations, where the game first took shape, are eager to welcome millions of fans into legendary stadiums...
“In the way matches are staged – including a new, more convenient kick-off time for the final ... we want to maximize the fan experience.”
UEFA has confirmed three kick-off times for the tournament: 1400 GMT, 1700 GMT and 2000 GMT.
The tournament is projected to generate 3.6 billion pounds ($4.83 billion) in socio-economic benefits for the UK and Ireland between 2028 and 2031, according to an independent assessment, UEFA said.
These benefits include job creation, regional prosperity and spending from international visitors.
The UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Government of Ireland have collectively pledged up to 740 million pounds ($993.15 million) in funding to ensure the “event is safe, secure and offers a world-class experience” for fans and host communities alike.
“The scale of the tournament will have a really positive impact on communities throughout the country,” England FA CEO Mark Bullingham said.
“This will be a tournament for the fans, with their experience at the heart of our planning.”
In May, Europe’s soccer governing body UEFA said England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales would participate in qualifying for Euro 2028, with only two spots reserved if they do not make it to the tournament.
England finished runners-up at Euro 2024 while Scotland were knocked out in the group stage. Wales and Ireland did not qualify for last year’s tournament hosted by Germany.
Belfast has been chosen to host the Euro 2028 qualifying draw, scheduled to take place in Northern Ireland’s capital on December 6, 2026.
