Three takeaways from Mallorca 0-3 Barcelona

Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres were all on the scoreboard for Barcelona last night as the Blaugrana coasted to their first win of the new La Liga season.

The defending champions dominated the game from the get-go and were the unit creating the better and more numerous chances. Yamal and Raphinha combined for a lovely opener before Torres capitalised on a moment of confusion to double the lead.

Mallorca soon fell apart, losing their cool and then two men, and had to play most of the game two players down. Barcelona, however, did not overpush. and a Yamal goal late in the night sealed the 3-0 win.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points from Mallorca 0-3 Barcelona.

A gifted result

Playing away at Son Moix is often one of the most difficult games of the league calendar, and Barcelona were expected to face tough resistance on Matchday 1. The game, however, was anything but competitive.

Hansi Flick’s side dominated the opening spell of the match and were two goals to the good around the half-hour mark. What happened at that point, however, saw Mallorca virtually gift the result to Barcelona.

Manu Morlanes’ sending off in the 33rd minute saw Mallorca reduced to ten men, and while the second yellow card was a bit soft, one cannot argue about it being awarded as it was a clear foul.

Just when it looked like matters could not get worse for the hosts, star striker Vedat Muriqi entered a dangerous challenge on Joan Garcia with his foot clashing into the goalkeeper’s face. He was awarded a straight red card and rightfully so.

A lot will be said about Raphinha not being shown a red in the final minutes of the opening half and it may well have been an error on the match official’s part. Down two men, however, Mallorca stood no chance.

Lamine Yamal and Raphinha were spirited all night and the former even found the back of the net for the team’s third goal of the night with a sumptuous strike in the final minute. In many ways, however, the three points were gifted to Barcelona with minimal effort.

Joan Garcia’s perfect debut

A solid start for Joan Garcia. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

The only new signing who started for Barcelona on the night was Joan Garcia, and his first official game for the club yielded his first clean sheet.

With Mallorca playing with just nine men for close to an hour, the goalkeeper indeed did not have much shot-stopping to prove at Son Moix. The feelings he left the game with, however, were very positive.

Garcia made one save from inside the box on the night, completed one high claim and also 100% of his runs out. Furthermore, he won 100% of his ground and air duels as well.

What particularly impressed, however, was the comfort he showed on the ball with his distribution and decision-making. He completed 100% of his passes, did not hesitate to attempt long-range passes and showed remarkable accuracy in doing so.

Further, he was surprisingly great as a sweeper and did not fear running out of his box when needed to get to the ball and force clearances.

Hansi Flick’s warranted fury

Despite his team taking home all three points from Mallorca, Hansi Flick was furious in the post-game press conference, and rightfully so, for he holds the team up against very high standards.

For a team that was already 2-0 up before Mallorca’s twin blow, not to score again until the final minute of the game is almost criminal, and it is clear that the manager wanted his troops to be more ruthless on the night.

Barcelona slowed down and relaxed after the opponents had players sent off, and while it did not affect the final result by any means, there was no reason for them to slow down. Further, they failed to put away even the chances they created.

Having a manager who finds such errors even in big wins is what has helped Barcelona grow over the past season, and Flick’s strict demands from his team, needless to say, will make the team more spirited in the next game.

After all, being ruthless on the field is key to any successful team, and the Catalans should have scored at least seven goals on the night.