Liga: before returning to Naples, Barça provides minimum service against Mallorca

FC Barcelona, ​​with an experimental eleven, suffered to win 1-0 against Mallorca in Montjuic, Friday at the opening of the 28th day of the Spanish Championship, four days before its round of 16 second leg of the Champions League against Naples. With this result, Barça (61 points) temporarily takes second place in La Liga, five points behind the leader, Real Madrid, and two more than Girona (59 pts) which travels to Valencia on Saturday.

The midfield, deprived of De Jong and Pedri who were both injured in early March, seemed to lack edge. In addition to these two absences for several weeks, Barça also lost the Brazilian wisp Rafinha who was injured in the 37th minute of play. The Blaugranas had the opportunity to get on the right track with a penalty awarded with the use of VAR, but Ilkay Gündogan came up against Mallorcan goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic (24th).

As Xavi Hernandez chose to spare Robert Lewandowski for the match against Naples, the attack appeared sluggish, relying on the talent of young prodigy Lamine Yamal. Finally the entry into play of the Polish striker and the Brazilian Vitor Roque on the hour mark revitalized the Blaugrana game.

If Yamal was unsuccessful when he sent a cannonball, pushed back onto the crossbar by Rajkovic (58th), he turned into a savior on his second attempt: on a ball inherited at the entrance to the area, the 16-year-old eliminated Daniel Rodriguez before unleashing a sumptuous shot which lodged in the top corner (1-0, 73rd). Failing to fully reassure himself before the reception in Naples, Xavi will undoubtedly retain the correct accounting operation in the classification.