Barcelona kicked off their 2025/26 La Liga title defence in emphatic fashion, securing a commanding 3-0 victory over a beleaguered nine-man Mallorca at the Estadi de Son Moix in a match that saw drama, controversy, and disciplinary action all in equal measure.
The Catalan giants started on the front foot, and it didn’t take long for them to make their mark. Just seven minutes into the game, Raphinha powered a header into the back of the net from a perfectly delivered cross by Lamine Yamal, setting the tone for the rest of the encounter.
Barcelona continued to dominate proceedings, and midway through the first half, Ferran Torres capitalised on confusion in the Mallorca penalty area. The hosts had momentarily stopped play due to an injury to Antonio Raillo inside the box, but Torres seized the opportunity, slotting home to double Barcelona’s advantage despite protests from the Mallorca players and staff. The goal stood, highlighting the efficiency and opportunism of the visitors.
The match took a dramatic turn with disciplinary incidents affecting the home side. Manu Morlanes received two quick yellow cards, resulting in his dismissal, and shortly before halftime, Mallorca were reduced to nine men when Vedat Muriqi was shown a red card after a VAR review confirmed a dangerous high boot on Eric Garcia. These setbacks left the home team scrambling and severely undermined their chances of mounting a comeback.
After the interval, Barcelona maintained their attacking intensity. Dani Olmo and Raphinha both came close to extending the lead, forcing Mallorca’s goalkeeper into crucial saves. Ultimately, it was Lamine Yamal who sealed the victory deep into stoppage time with a beautifully curled effort from outside the box, capping off a dominant performance and sending the away fans into jubilant celebrations.
New signing Marcus Rashford, making his La Liga debut after his registration was confirmed earlier by gistreel.com, was introduced in the second half. Despite his reputation, the English forward had minimal impact on the match, unable to influence the scoreline or create meaningful chances as Barcelona controlled the game from start to finish.
The victory underlined Barcelona’s intent to defend their title with authority, combining clinical finishing, intelligent movement, and a disciplined defensive performance. Mallorca, meanwhile, will have to regroup quickly after a disastrous opening day showing, which exposed both their defensive vulnerabilities and their susceptibility to disciplinary lapses.