Barcelona began their La Liga title defence with a contentious 3-0 victory over a nine-man RCD Mallorca on Saturday, in a match that also saw England international Marcus Rashford make his competitive debut for the club.
Goals from Raphinha, Ferran Torres, and Lamine Yamal secured the three points for the champions, but the game was marred by controversy surrounding a disputed goal and two red cards for the home side.
Mallorca were reduced to ten men when midfielder Manu Morlanes received two quick yellow cards, the first for protesting Barcelona’s second goal. Striker Vedat Muriqi was then shown a straight red card for a high challenge on debutant goalkeeper Joan Garcia, a decision made after a VAR review upgraded the initial yellow card.
Raphinha had given Barcelona the lead with a header from a fine Lamine Yamal cross. The second goal proved to be the flashpoint, as Torres scored while Mallorca captain Antonio Raillo was down in the penalty area with a head injury. Yamal added a third goal with a powerful strike in the closing moments of the game against the depleted hosts.
Rashford, on a season-long loan from Manchester United, entered the match in the 69th minute, becoming the first English player to feature in a competitive game for Barcelona since Gary Lineker in 1989. The 27-year-old played as a central striker but had no clear opportunities to score.
His involvement was only made possible after Barcelona successfully registered him and fellow new signing Garcia with La Liga on the morning of the match, navigating the club’s ongoing financial constraints.
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.