A solid performance by Barcelona kicked off their LaLiga season with a convincing 3-0 victory over nine-man Mallorca on Saturday. The Spanish champions showed early dominance in a match that saw them take full control by halftime.
Barcelona took the lead after just seven minutes when Raphinha headed home. Ferran Torres then doubled the advantage in the 23rd minute, though the goal was met with complaints from Mallorca's players, who believed their teammate was down with an injury when the play continued. However, the referee allowed the goal to stand.
The hosts' troubles worsened when they were reduced to nine men before halftime. Manu Morlanes was sent off with a second yellow card in the 33rd minute, and a high challenge from Vedat Muriqi led to a straight red card six minutes later, leaving Mallorca with a mountain to climb.
Despite the comfortable win, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick expressed dissatisfaction with the team's performance, stating, "I didn’t like the match. The team dropped their intensity too much in the second half, that’s not acceptable. We need to talk about it."
Flick also commented on the controversial second goal, reminding his players, "I always tell my players not to stop until the referee blows the final whistle. It’s the referee who has to decide."
The match also saw a significant debut as England forward Marcus Rashford, on loan from Manchester United, came on in the 69th minute. He is the first Englishman to play for Barcelona since Gary Lineker in 1989. The victory was sealed in stoppage time when Lamine Yamal found the top corner with an impressive shot, completing the 3-0 win.
