Barcelona returned to winning ways on Tuesday with a 5-1 victory over Mallorca.
Four different goalscorers added to the tally that the Catalans amassed in Palma – with Raphinha netting two of his own in the second-half.
Impressive performances from the likes of Lamine Yamal, Frenkie de Jong and Dani Olmo carried Barca to a deserved win, strengthening their spot at the top of the table.
How the match unfolded
The Catalans opened the clash with nerves, desperate to return to winning ways but cautious of Mallorca’s threat. Torres, a shock addition to the lineup in Palma, was the first to find the back of the net thanks to miscommunication from his the hosts’ backline.
Mallorca’s usual no-nonsense defence came under fire just 12 minutes into the game – Martin Valjent and Johan Mojica quickly blamed for failing to clear their lines. Torres was gifted a completely empty net when he rolled his second La Liga goal past Leo Roman, firing Barca into the lead.
Barca’s confidence grew with their lead, settling into the game and moving the ball around with pace and intent.
However, Barca’s high-line proved dangerous towards the end of the half, allowing Vedat Muriqi to burst through on goal. The hosts earned their way back into the game just before the whistle blew for the break, dampening Barca’s chances of returning to winning ways.
When play continued Barca had a point to prove. They utilised space around them to create chances but were forced to wait for an opening to gain the lead.
This opening eventually came when a threaded pass from Dani Olmo found Lamine Yamal. The youngster was knocked to the ground, but awarded his side a penalty. Raphinha stepped up to take the chance and converted with ease, making it 2-1 to the Catalans.
It wasn’t long before the in-form Brazilian netted again. Yamal leaped into action after a relatively quiet night to prove why he’s one of the most feared players in the league, sending an outrageous pass towards his teammate to set Raphinha up for brilliance.
Frenkie de Jong then solidified Barca’s lead, making an impact after arriving off the bench. A goal, that once again started with Yamal, flew into the back of the net.
It was all over for Mallorca, but not until Pau Victor made it five. This time, it was De Jong who swapped his strike for an assist when he played a perfect ball to the Spain star. When the whistle blew to end proceedings Barca were well into the lead, rightfully cementing their place at the top of the table.
Questions were asked when Robert Lewandowski was left out of the starting lineup to face Mallorca on Tuesday, but Ferran Torres made sure to impress when handed the striker position.
His shock involvement was instantly made clear when he outsmarted a usually pristine Mallorca backline – netting in the first 12 minutes after taking advantage of mistakes from the hosts.
Torres fired his side into the lead early into the game and, as well as handing them an advantage, gifted Barca the ability to play with confidence for the rest of the game.
They started nervy, but once Barca had their first goal of the game they began to play with confidence.
They had every right to be apprehensive after struggling to impress in recent fixtures, but the Catalans came back to life as soon as they had a reason to play.
Hansi Flick’s side knew they needed a win if they were to remain the most feared outfit in Spain this season – and when Torres’ opener found the back of the net they knew they could take all three points from their trip.
Let’s get one thing straight – no matter their recent run of form, Barcelona are absolutely in contention for the La Liga title and will own silverware at the end of the season if they put in more performances like this.
Tuesday’s showing proved that Flick’s side have the quality to triumph in the league, strengthening their poisition ahead of rivals and reigning champions Real Madrid at the top of the table.
They are the team to watch this season and should not be underestimated.
