Barcelona vs Mallorca

Barcelona vs. Mallorca match. | Carlos Gil-Roig

Monro BrycePalma29/05/2023 13:34
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This game was all but over almost before it started, when Ansu Fati put Barça ahead after just 52 seconds. Then in the 14th minute a horrific scything tackle by our forward Amath Ndiaye brought down Barcelona’s young left back Alejandro Balde with a potential leg-breaking lunge. The referee showed Amath a yellow card then VAR got involved and yellow became red. Amath was already walking off the pitch because he knew the outcome and his recklessness has left Balde with a partial rupture of the collateral ligament in his right ankle and he will be out of football for up to three months. This means he’ll miss Spain’s vital Nation’s Cup games in two weeks time. Balde was in tears as he was carried off and Amath was beside himself with remorse.

After that the game became Barcelona’s attack against our makeshift defence. This one-sided fixture saw two of Barcelona’s iconic stalwarts, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, saying “farewell” to the 88,775 crowd as the players move to the Middle East to trouser more millions towards their already sizeable pensions!

Mallorca’s defence just managed to hold out to half time with Barcelona comfortably 2-0 ahead. Coach Javier Aguirre (who admitted it was difficult to motivate his team with nothing at stake) had five B team players on the bench and centre back Gaya had the dubious honour that in two games he has played as a starter (last season at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid) and again on Sunday night Mallorca have conceded within a minute. Although young Gaya was not to blame for either goal, he was replaced at the break.

In the second half Barcelona took the foot off the gas with our No. 2 goalkeeper Dominik Greif putting up a good performance, plus the crossbar twice came to our rescue. By now it looked like Barcelona were in a training session. Mallorca never came close to giving them a game as we raised the white surrender flag when Gavi banged in Barcelona’s third.

As happened against Almeria last week, Mallorca never looked to have even the slightest interest in the game and couldn’t wait to get on the plane back to Palma. Our search for our first away win in the Nou Camp since May 2008 goes on. It would be fantastic to beat Rayo Vallecano in our last game of the season in the Son Moix next Sunday at 6.30pm. To finish an excellent campaign on 50 points would be a great achievement.