Our first game back after 102 days since our last competitive fixture was unfortunate to end in a 4-0 defeat against league leaders FC Barcelona.
Ahead of our fight for survival upon confirmation the domestic season would resume following the COVID-19 pandemic, #HastaLaUltimaGota, translated as ‘#UntilTheLastDrop’, has been the club’s choice mantra, and despite the margin of the loss, it was a sentiment personified by the valiant performance of a team adjusting to ‘the new normal’ of football.
The usually raucous Visit Mallorca Estadi was limited to 200 attendees made up of players, coaching teams and matchday staff with the remaining 11 games to be played behind closed doors. Rule changes to the league’s playing format ahead of a hectic fixture schedule also heralded the introduction of a 12-man substitute bench and a permitted five changes.
Any joy of stepping back out onto the pitch after the enforced break was cut short however, as La Blaugrana took the lead inside just two minutes courtesy of Arturo Vidal’s headed finish of Jordi Alba’s cross.
Take Kubo then came close to haunting his former club with our best chance of the opening 45 minutes, cutting inside before unleashing a fierce drive denied by an outstretched Marc-André ter Stegen.
The winger was the principal orchestrator of a sustained period of promising play and again forced the visiting goalkeeper into a block with a free-kick which managed to slip under a crowded box.
Against the run of play, we went into the break two goals down after Martin Braithwaite had taken advantage of a cross not cleared at the first time of asking with an unstoppable volley from a few yards out.
A double substitution in the form of Fran Gámez and Lago Junior, in addition to a change in team shape, saw us fly out the blocks upon the restart, although Ante Budimir could only rifle inches wide from the edge of the box.
With chances few and far between for the remainder of the second half, Jordi Alba put the game beyond any potential comeback with 10 minutes to go, racing in-behind to slot the ball past the advancing Manolo Reina, before Lionel Messi then added a fourth from inside the box with a composed finish.
We will quickly have to recover from the setback as we travel to Estadio de la Cerámica for a clash with Villarreal in less than 72 hours' time.
RCD Mallorca: Reina; Pozo, Valjent, Raíllo, Sastre (46’), Dani Rodríguez, Salva Sevilla (83’), Pedraza (57’), Kubo; Cucho (46’) and Budimir (83’).
Substitutes: Parera, Señé, Campos, Abdón (83’), Lago Júnior (46’), Baba (57’), Gámez (46’), Salibur (83’), Trajkovski, Chavarría, Sedlar and Febas.
FC Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto (71’), Piqué, Araújo, Jordi Alba, Busquets (71’), De Jong (83’), Vidal (46’), Messi, Braithwaite and Griezmann (57’).
Substitutes: Neto, Iñaki Peña, Semedo (71’), Júnior Firpo (84’), Umtiti, Monchu, Arthur (71’), Rakitic (46’), Riqui Puig, Collado, Luis Suárez (57’) and Ansu Fati.
Goals: Arturo Vidal, 0-1 (2’); Martin Braithwaite, 0-2 (37’); Jordi Alba, 0-3 (79'); Lionel Messi, 0-4 (90’).
