FC Barcelona Begins La Liga Campaign with Victory Over Mallorca: Five Key Takeaways

Spanish champions FC Barcelona opened their La Liga campaign on Saturday with an island cruise as they played almost an hour against nine men on their way to a 3-0 victory in Mallorca. Let's take a look at five key takeaways from the match. 

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Joan Garcia Looks Solid in Goal

Even though Joan Garcia was not tested in his debut, he took a massive blow to the face through Vedat Muriqi's challenge after already sustaining an injury in the warm-up. The new signing did not have a whole lot to do on the night, especially after the two red cards, but kept the clean sheet. Joan Garcia had 146 saves in 38 league matches last season, which made him the goalkeeper with the most saves in the competition. Only Brentford’s Mark Flekken made more saves than Joan Garcia across the top five European leagues.

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Lamine Yamal's Form Continues

Lamine Yamal assisted Raphinha to score the opener and played a key role in the second goal scored by Ferran Torres. after 23 minutes. He also attracted fouls that saw Manu Morlanes being sent off. Deep into injury time Yamal picked up the ball on the right, left three defenders trailing as he cut across the top of the penalty area and curled a left-foot shot into the top corner with the final kick of the game.

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Marcus Rashford's Promising Debut

Hansi Flick brought on summer loan signing Marcus Rashford in the 68th minute replacing Ferran Torres. He often drifted left to support the midfield and link up with left-back Jofre Torrents. One such move nearly resulted in a goal, as Torrents fired in a dangerous cross from Rashford's pass. Rashford completed 10 of 11 passes and twice set up Lamine Yamal for chances, both saved. However, signs of rust were visible as he failed to control a sharp pass from Eric García that could’ve given him his first goal.

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Hansi Flick's Drive for More

Coach Hansi Flick was not impressed with the team's second-half stroll against nine-man Mallorca. "They're three important points, but I didn't like the match," he told broadcaster Movistar. "After going two goals up and following Mallorca's two red cards, I think the team only gave 50 percent and I didn't like that. Playing at 50 or 60 per cent is not possible against nine players," he added.

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Refereeing Controversy

The first flashpoint came in the 7th minute, when Raphinha opened the scoring after receiving a chipped assist from Lamine Yamal, who appeared to keep the ball in play near the right touchline. However, replays suggested the ball may have crossed the line, yet VAR refused to review the build-up, allowing the goal to stand. In the 23rd minute, Yamal’s shot struck Mallorca captain Antonio Rallo on the head, causing him to collapse. As Mallorca players paused and appealed for a stoppage, Ferran Torres scored from the loose ball. Frustration boiled over quickly. Manu Morlanes, already booked for dissent, received a second yellow for a foul on Yamal in the 33rd minute and was sent off. Just minutes later, Vedat Muriqi was shown a straight red card for a reckless high challenge on Joan Garcia. Initially shown a yellow, the decision was upgraded to red after VAR intervention, deepening Mallorca’s woes.