Mallorca vs Barcelona – La Liga clash ends in entertaining draw
RCD Mallorca held off FC Barcelona in a 2-2 draw at the Iberostar Stadium to share points thanks to mistakes from Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, but Brazilian winger Raphinha helped Los Cules claw back to remain undefeated in LaLiga.
Mallorca coach Javier Aguirre was faced with injury setbacks as he had to do without the services of key players Omar Mascarell and Antonio Raillo. However, he did give Jose Copete a chance to shine after their previous week’s defeat to Girona.
On the other side, Barcelona’s midfielder Frenkie de Jong was sidelined for the next six weeks due to an ankle injury, and Pedri remained unavailable with a thigh issue. Barca manager Xavi made some key tactical changes with Ilkay Gündogan, Ferran Torres, Ronald Araújo and Iñigo Martínez coming into the lineup.
First half
With just seven minutes played, disaster struck for Barcelona as a poor clearance from Marc-Andre Ter Stegen led to a goal for Mallorca. A sloppy pass from the German and a bad clearance from Ronald Araújo allowed Vedat Muriqi to put Mallorca ahead, surprising the visitors.
Despite the setback, Barcelona pushed forward, with Raphinha attempting to find Joao Felix in the box – but Mallorca’s defense held strong. Barca also had chances from set-pieces, but they couldn’t capitalise. Mallorca’s physical dominance was evident with five fouls committed in the early stages.
Barcelona struggled to maintain possession against Mallorca’s relentless midfield press, and the home side appeared the more dangerous of the two. Barca’s best chances came from crosses into the box, but they couldn’t convert or reach their intended man.
In the 41st minute, Barcelona found the equaliser thanks to a spectacular goal from Raphinha. However, just before halftime, Mallorca caught Barcelona off guard again, retaking the lead through Abdón Prats after a header from Muriqi put him in behind and Ter Stegen failed to get to the ball first.
Half-Time
The first half was marked by Barcelona’s early defensive lapse, leading to Mallorca’s first goal. Raphinha’s brilliance saved them with a stunning strike. The midfield was relatively quiet, relying heavily on wing play and fullbacks. Gavi, playing deeper in midfield, had moments but could have contributed more to overload Mallorca’s defense in attack.
Gündogan and Oriol Romeu not getting involved as much in build play.
Barca’s defence didn’t look as sharp as usual, and Mallorca consistently threatened when entering Barcelona’s half.
Second half
Barcelona made a crucial substitution in the 57th minute, bringing on Robert Lewandowski for Torres and in the 63rd minute, the 16-year-old Lamine Yamal for Joao Felix and Fermin Lopez for Romeu.
Yamal’s impact was instantaneous as in the 64th minute he was taken down in the penalty box by Copete, but the video assistant referee intervened and overruled the call as there was a lack of sufficient contact on the winger.
In the 74th minute, Barcelona found their second goal with a brilliant team play. Yamal played in Raphinha who set up Lewandowski, cleverly dummying it for Fermin Lopez to score his first goal of the season and first in a Barca shirt.
Barcelona continued to pose a threat. However, Mallorca had their moments, with Cyle Larin missing a one-on-one chance and a Lewandowski header being easily saved.
Full time
The match ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw, with both teams sharing the points. Ter Stegen’s early error cost Barcelona the lead, and their attack struggled in the first half. Raphinha’s standout performance was crucial, with a goal and an assist. The impact of substitutes Yamal, Lopez and Lewandowski was pivotal in Barcelona’s comeback.
Araujo had a challenging game on his return to the starting lineup from injury, and Barcelona’s defense looked shaky at times. Xavi will have much to ponder ahead of their next fixture against Sevilla.
Barcelona will return home to face Sevilla on September 29th, while Mallorca will take on Rayo Vallecano on September 30th in their next La Liga fixtures.
Squads:
