Barcelona return to winning ways with 5-1 win over Mallorca

Barcelona easily recorded a 5-1 victory over RCD Mallorca on Tuesday in the La Liga to mark their first win in four league matches, spearheaded by Raphinha’s second-half brace. The Brazilian’s goals helped secure an impressive win for Hansi Flick’s side, who had fallen to a shock home defeat against UD Las Palmas on Saturday.

The match got off to a flying start for Barcelona, with Ferran Torres capitalizing on a defensive mix-up to bundle an effort beyond Leo Román in the 12th minute. The goal marked Torres’ second of the season and set the tone for a dominant performance from the visitors. Despite Mallorca’s best efforts, Barcelona continued to stamp their authority on proceedings, with Torres and Lamine Yamal both coming close to scoring.

However, Mallorca remained a threat at the other end, and Jagoba Arrasate’s side drew level shortly before halftime when Pablo Maffeo unselfishly squared the ball for Vedat Muriqi to tap home from close range. 

Barcelona started the second half stronger, and after Torres and Raphinha came close to restoring Barcelona’s lead, the visitors were awarded a penalty as Johan Mojica fouled Yamal in the area. Raphinha took the penalty and scored for his 15th goal of the campaign across all competitions. The Brazilian continued to spearhead Barcelona’s attack, and his second goal of the match arrived courtesy of Yamal’s spectacular trivela delivery.

With the momentum firmly in their favor, Barcelona added further gloss to the scoreline with two goals in the closing stages. First, Frenkie de Jong poked home a loose ball before the Dutchman turned provider for Pau Victor’s simple finish. 

The victory has opened up a four-point lead for Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table, with the Catalan giants reclaiming their position as league leaders. The win will come as a welcome relief for Flick’s side, who had been struggling to find their rhythm in recent matches.