Barcelona Cruises to Victory Over Mallorca, Fueled by Defensive Blunder
Barcelona, Spain – In a rescheduled La Liga match ahead of their participation in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, Barcelona steamrolled Mallorca 5-1 at Son Moix on Tuesday. The win snapped a three-game winless streak for the Catalan giants.
A surprise defensive error early on opened the floodgates for Barcelona. Colombian defender Johan Mojica attempted a clearance, but the ball ricocheted off teammate Martin Vlajent and directly into the path of Ferran Torres. With Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Román caught off guard, Torres calmly slotted the ball home in the 22nd minute.
"It’s a club that I have a lot of respect for. Everything I can give on the field, I will give," Raphinha said later, reflecting on his contribution to the victory.
While Lamine Yamal came close to extending the lead several times, Mallorca unexpectedly levelled the score just before halftime. Samú Costa sprinted forward, believing himself to be offside, then stopped abruptly when he saw Pablo Maffeo coming to his side. The midfielder’s hesitation allowed In Peña to find Vedat Muriqi unmarked in front of goal, and the Kosovar striker easily slotted the ball into an empty net.
The second half, however, belonged entirely to Barcelona. Mojica, who had already contributed to the opening goal with a blunder, found himself at the heart of another crucial moment. He fouled Yamal, resulting in a penalty that Raphinha expertly converted, restoring Barcelona’s lead in the 51st minute.
Mojica’s frustration boiled over as he angrily confronted teammate Manu Morlanes, even headbutting him in a shocking display of discontent.
Yamal continued to orchestrate Barcelona’s attacks, delivering a stunning assist to Raphinha for the third goal. The Brazilian winger surged into the box and coolly finished past Román, extending Barcelona’s advantage in the 60th minute.
Yamal was the architect for Barcelona’s final two goals. First, he laid the ball off to Frenkie de Jong for a close-range finish. Then, his pinpoint pass found Pau Víctor, who calmly slotted the ball home for the fifth Barcelona goal.
The resounding victory keeps Barcelona comfortably atop La Liga with 37 points, four clear of Real Madrid who have played two fewer games.
Barcelona’s next challenge comes in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia as they continue their pursuit of silverware this season.
Mallorca 1 – 5 Barcelona
Goals:
- Barcelona: Torres (22), Raphinha (51, 60), De Jong (71), Pau Víctor (84)
- Mallorca: Muriqi (45)
