FC Barcelona is doing well, thank you for him. He is still at the top of La Liga and undefeated in all competitions. But he was slowed down this Tuesday by the lively Mallorca team. And, after six successes in a row (C1 and Championship combined), he conceded a draw (2-2) which places him under the threat of Girona and Real Madrid.
Deprived of Frenkie De Jong and Pedri, injured, and, by choice, of Jules Koundé and Robert Lewandowski, the Barcelonans really suffered in Mallorca. Embarrassed from the start by the opponent’s aggressiveness, Xavi’s players embarrassed themselves, with this poor recovery from André ter Stegen which resulted in Vedat Muriqi (8th) opening the score.
A penalty for Barça canceled by VAR
They waited until the 23rd minute to attempt their first strike and never even got things under control. But, while he had just equalized with a clear shot (41st), Raphinha missed his face-to-face with Predrag Rajkovic (45th). And the Catalans, who seemed to have regained their senses, plunged back into the process. All it took was a long clearance from the former Reims goalkeeper, who had just diverted a dangerous rebound from Joao Felix (45th+2), to take the Barcelona hinge from behind: a deflection of Vedat Muriqi’s head later, Abdon Prats anticipated Ter Stegen’s unsteady exit and gave Mallorca the lead again just before the break (2-1, 45th+3).
After the break, Xavi tried to revitalize his team. Ferran Torres was replaced in the 58th minute by Robert Lewandowski. And Lamine Yamal, who had just replaced Joao Felix, author of a strike on the post in the 55th, thought he had obtained a penalty, finally rightly canceled by the VAR (65th). As the minutes passed, Barcelona’s domination ended up asserting itself, and the second Catalan equalizer of the evening arrived after a magnificent action, with Lamine Yamal on the trigger, Raphinha on the pass and Robert Lewandowski smart enough to let it slip away. between his legs a cross taken behind his back by Fermin Lopez (2-2, 75th).
