Barcelona Close Gap on Real Madrid with Hard-Fought Win over Mallorca
Barcelona’s relentless pursuit of Real Madrid in the La Liga title race continued on Friday as they secured a hard-fought 1-0 home victory over a resilient Mallorca side. The win moved the Catalan giants within five points of the league leaders, who host struggling Celta Vigo on Sunday.
The match at Camp Nou was a tale of two halves. Barcelona dominated possession in the first half but struggled to create clear-cut chances against a well-organized Mallorca defense. The visitors, meanwhile, looked dangerous on the break and had a few opportunities to take the lead.
The second half saw a more determined Barcelona side. They pressed higher up the pitch and created several chances. The breakthrough came in the 73rd minute when 16-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal curled a brilliant shot into the top left-hand corner from the edge of the area.
Yamal’s goal proved to be the winner as Barcelona held on for a crucial three points. The victory was particularly impressive considering that they were without injured midfielders Frenkie De Jong and Pedri.
Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez praised his team’s performance, saying, “We competed well, we created clear chances to win more than 1-0. But we’ve won, the three points are welcome.”
He also highlighted the importance of Yamal’s goal, saying, “It was a game of hard work. They made it difficult for us. Anything that helps the team is great for me. Scoring a goal with our fans in front of us is always a dream.”
Mallorca manager Javier Aguirre was disappointed with the result but proud of his team’s performance. “We played a great game, we had our chances,” he said. “We have to keep working and improving.”
The victory keeps Barcelona in the hunt for the La Liga title. They will now turn their attention to the Champions League, where they host Napoli in the second leg of their last 16 tie on Tuesday. The match is level at 1-1 after the first leg in Italy.
