'I seem ugly and tough, but I'm human' - Real Madrid-slayer Vedat Muriqi explains why he broke down in tears after scoring last-minute winner against La Liga giants

The Kosovar international has endured a grueling period both on and off the pitch, making his late heroics at Son Moix even more significant. Before his decisive strike against Alvaro Arbeloa's side, Muriqi had been carrying the weight of a missed penalty against Elche and the heartbreak of failing to qualify for the World Cup following a final defeat against Turkey.

Speaking to the media after the final whistle, the Mallorca talisman was incredibly candid about his mental state. "Yes, because I've been going through it for two weeks... Although from the outside I seem very ugly and tough, I am also human and sometimes the emotions and the nerves leave me," he admitted, reflecting on a goal that took his season tally to an impressive 19.

For Muriqi, representng his country is the pinnacle of his career, and the recent failure to secure a spot on the world stage had left deep scars. The striker explained how the combination of club struggles and international woe culminated in his emotional outburst after finding the back of the net.

"I come from missing a penalty in the 92nd minute [against Elche], then losing a final to go to the World Cup and fulfil the biggest dream of my life. Here it was 1-0 and a draw in the 88th, and suddenly, a goal, a great goal, winning 2-1, with my goal..." he explained.

His late winner has not only boosted Mallorca's survival hopes but also kept him in the race for the Pichichi trophy, where he is currently challenging Kylian Mbappe, who leads the charts with 23 goals.

The victory provides a massive lift for Mallorca in their battle against relegation, moving them out of the drop zone and into 17th place - two points clear of Elche in the final relegation spot. Muriqi was honest enough to admit that the squad did not realistically expect to take any points from the fixture against the Spanish giants, which made the victory feel even more surreal for the home support.

"When you do the calculations before starting, you put a zero against Madrid even if you play at home, you have to be honest," the striker noted. "Taking three means we played a good game, we did good work this week. Now we have more games against Rayo and Valencia and hopefully we get six points."

With Real Madrid silenced, Mallorca now look ahead to a crucial run of fixtures that will define their season. Muriqi’s goal has completely altered the landscape at both ends of the table, proving that the underdog is very much alive in this year's La Liga scrap.

Madrid, meanwhile, are now seven points behind Barcelona after the Catalan side beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 on Saturday.