Four goals in the space of 10 minutes saw us fall to a disappointing 4-0 defeat against Villarreal CF.
For our first league game of the new year, Jagoba Arrasate opted for a front line of Cyel Larin and Vedat Muriqi while Sergi Darder also started on the wide left.
After a slow start for both sides, Logan Costa gave the hosts the lead in the 20th minute when he climbed highest to head home a corner.
Alex Baena doubled Villarreal CF’s lead four minutes later when he ghosted into the box to put the finishing touch to an incisive counter attack.
Dani Parejo made it three in the 26th minute when a turnover in possession lead to a counter attack and the ball being pulled back to the midfielder who made no mistake from close range.
Things went from bad to worse as Yeremy Pino completed the scoring the 28th minute when he tapped home from inside the six-yard box.
In what was a first half to forget after Samu Costa had our best chance of pulling a goal back, we headed into the break with it all to do in the second half.
We looked much improved after the restart as Muriqi first came close with a header that just went wide of the target.
Larin was next to catch sight of goal in the 66th minute but his effort was deflected up and over the crossbar.
Johan Mojica tested the opposition’s goalkeeper with a whipped free-kick and later an off target effort from outside the box, but it was not our night as we fell to defeat.
LINE UPS
VILLARREAL (4): Luiz Júnior, Femenía, Foyth (Kambwala, min. 68), Logan Costa, Cardona, Pape Gueye (Terrats, min. 86), Parejo (Denis Suárez, min. 76), Baena, Yéremy Pino (Pau Cabanes, min. 60), Gerard Moreno (Pépé, min. 68) y Barry (Ayoze, min. 76).
RCD MALLORCA (0): Greif, Pablo Maffeo (Copete, min. 46), Valjent, Raíllo, Mojica, Omar Mascarell, Samu Costa (Robert Navarro, min. 45), Dani Rodríguez (Mateu Jaume, min. 46), Sergi Darder (Robert Navarro, min. 46), Larin (Asano, min. 74) y Muriqi.
GOALS: 1-0 Logan Costa (min. 20): 2-0 Baena (min. 24): 3-0 Parejo (min. 26): 4-0 Yéremy Pino (min. 28).