Raphinha’s second-half brace helped Barcelona secure a dominant 4-1 win over Mallorca, ending a three-game winless run. The victory moved Barcelona four points ahead of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. The match was level at 0-0 at halftime, but Raphinha opened the scoring in the 56th minute, converting a penalty after Lamine Yamal was fouled in the box. Eighteen minutes later, Yamal with a brilliant outside-of-the-foot cross, set up Raphinha for his second goal, bringing his tally to 11 league goals this season.
Barcelona sealed the win with two quick-fire goals from substitutes Frenkie De Jong and Pau Victor in the final 10 minutes, putting the match beyond Mallorca’s reach. The win was a strong response to their disappointing 2-1 loss to Las Palmas just days earlier. The match began with Barcelona taking the lead in the 12th minute thanks to an error by Mallorca’s defense, allowing Ferran Torres to score.
However, Mallorca responded just before halftime when Samu Costa’s pass released Pablo Maffeo, who squared the ball for Vedat Muriqi to equalize. Barcelona’s coach Hansi Flick made the decision to bench top scorer Robert Lewandowski, opting for Torres a choice that paid off with the early lead.
The team’s attacking play, led by Raphinha’s two goals and a solid second-half performance, highlighted their bounce-back from recent setbacks. Barcelona now head into their next match against Real Betis on Saturday while Mallorca will face Celta Vigo.
Enzo Maresca believes the club can "dominate" the Premier League in the next five to…
Andy Farrell has officially taken over as the full-time head coach of the British and…
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has denied reports of a rift with Kevin de Bruyne,…
Jamie Vardy played a key role in giving Ruud van Nistelrooy a perfect start as…
Tiger Woods has expressed that the "fire still burns" for him to compete, despite ongoing…
Scotland's players fell to their knees in despair as the final whistle blew at the…