Barcelona began the defense of its La Liga title with a resounding 3-0 win against Mallorca on Saturday. The entire match was hosted at Mallorca’s home ground, Estadi de Son Moix. It really showcased Barcelona’s attacking capability, particularly due to the impressive link-up between Raphinha and Lamine Yamal. The win signaled a powerful opening spurt for the Catalan club in search of ice back into the crown.
Right from the beginning, Barça dominated the match, scoring just four minutes in courtesy of Raphinha. Making an impact early in the 7th minute, the Brazilian forward opened the scoring with an emphatic header. He expertly guided a curling cross first-time from Lamine Yamal into the bottom corner. This quickly conceded early goal set the tone for the match and left Barcelona with a hefty first leg cushion.
It only got worse for Mallorca, who saw double red cards in the first half. Vedat Muriqi received a red card for a dangerous challenge on fellow Barcelonan keeper Joan García. This unfortunately left his squad with only ten players on the field. This dismissal only worsened Mallorca’s fortunes, as Barcelona enjoyed a wealth of possession to further take advantage of their numerical superiority.
Ferran Torres doubled Barcelona’s lead in the 23rd minute, adding to Mallorca’s woes. His well-taken equalizer sparked anger from the home team. As a result, they thought a foul should have been called prior to the goal strike. Through all of the protests, the objective remained, and Barcelona went into halftime with an easy 2-0 lead.
In the second half, Barcelona continued to press forward, showcasing their attacking depth despite being without veteran striker Robert Lewandowski due to injury. Furthermore, Marc-Andre ter Stegen was out after lower back surgery, forcing García into the starting goalkeeper slot. The young goalkeeper was impressive enough to take home a clean sheet, staking his own claim to be involved in the squad.
Lamine Yamal put the final flourish on a sensational display, getting Barcelona’s third with a stoppime ice breaker. The young forward has been turning heads since last season. He plastered the back corner, closing the door to a 3-0 defeat. Yamal’s impact showcased why he’s poised to be one of Barcelona’s most important players this season.
La Blaugranes caps off an incredible La Liga-winning season, in which they netted a remarkable 102 goals last term. With such a strong opening match against Mallorca, it’s hard not to be optimistic that they have set a promising precedent for the remainder of the season. The team is looking to capitalize on this momentum as they march through their title defense.
