Ramos off as Real scrape Mallorca point
Wesley Sneijder put Real ahead shortly before half-time but Sergio Ramos was sent off for two bookings midway through the second half and seven minutes later Mallorca made the extra man count with substitute Borja Valero curling in a brilliant equaliser.
Real are now seven points ahead of Villarreal at the top of the Spanish first division but Manuel Pellegrini's team can shave that lead to four points with victory over Sevilla on Sunday.
Barcelona are eight points behind Real and have a tricky home match against Getafe on Sunday.
Real were relieved to pick up a point as Mallorca should have won the match late on but Daniel Guiza hit the crossbar with the goal at his mercy to let the champions off the hook.
Real had mixed memories of playing Mallorca with last season's memorable 3-1 win - when they clinched the title on the final day of the season - combined with this season's Kings Cup defeat to the islanders.
Arjen Robben kept his place on the left flank, demoting Robinho to the substitutes bench, as he bids to establish himself after a succession of injuries. Guti shrugged off bruised ribs to start in midfield.
Robben should have broke the deadlock after five minutes but the speedy winger chose to avoid using his weaker right foot and screwed the good chance wide.
Spanish international Guiza, second top-scorer in the league with 17 goals, missed a guilt-edged chance for Mallorca on 23 minutes.
Guiza performed a neat one-two to get in behind Real but somehow sidefooted wide - not the type of finishing to persuade Luis Aragones to include him in Spain's Euro 2008 squad this summer.
Mallorca then had the ball in the back of the net just after the hour mark but it was ruled out for an apparent foul on Sergio Ramos.
Shortly before the break Robben sliced open the backline with a jinking run full of pace and Sneijder was on hand to roll the ball in.
Mallorca pinned Real back in search of an equaliser and Ramos, who has a terrible disciplinary record, was issued his marching orders for a second booking on 65 minutes.
The momentum was with the home side and Valero, only on the pitch five minutes, showed great composure to curl in an equaliser.
Guiza then hit the crossbar from close range to cap a miserable night for him.
It is now up to Villarreal and Barcelona to respond in what has been a low-quality title race.
Barca, beaten 3-2 by Real Betis last time out, host a Getafe that will be full of confidence after a 1-1 draw at Bayern Munich on Thursday in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals.
Villarreal have a tough trip to Sevilla who are chasing a Champions League spot.
Earlier on Saturday former Liverpool man Florent Sinama Pongolle scored the decisive goal as Recreativo Huelva climbed out of the bottom three with a 1-0 win at Osasuna.