FC Barcelona finally returned to winning ways in La Liga as they got a 5-1 win over Mallorca. But while the scoreline can be deceiving, the hosts also put up a strong fight and were competitive for most part of the game.
Still, the Mallorca coach, Jagoba Arrasate was quite self-critical as he spoke to the press after this match. As Mundo Deportivo has reported, he rued the mistakes that his team made against Barcelona: “Against this type of opponent, it’s very difficult if you make these mistakes.”
In addition to his team’s mistakes, the coach also highlighted Barcelona’s qualities that contributed to their defeat:
“It was necessary to try, but it went wrong… It was a tough defeat, and I think the penalty hurt us a lot, because from that moment on, they were much better. In general, there were many mistakes on our part, both collective and individual, but also because we were playing against a team that pushed us to our limits and created doubts.”
“When there’s space, they handle it like no one else. On top of that, we had some bad luck with the 0-1. Against these teams, you have to play a great game and avoid mistakes, and we made them.”
MALLORCA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 03: Frenkie de Jong (R) of FC Barcelona celebrates after scoring his team's fourth goal with teammates during the LaLiga match between RCD Mallorca and FC Barcelona at Estadi de Son Moix on December 03, 2024 in Mallorca, Spain.
Photo by Rafa Babot/Getty Images
Arrasate also commented on the difficulty of getting the better of the Barcelona team, and the effectiveness of their offside trap:
“It’s difficult because you are tempted to exploit the space they leave, but with the first line it’s almost impossible, with the second it’s very hard, and with the third, we managed to score the 1-1.”
“All coaches are looking for ways to break their offside trap, but they execute it perfectly. For me, it’s the first time I’ve experienced something so extreme, almost coming out in a pack. They have it very well studied.”
There is no doubt that several teams in La Liga have found it quite difficult to get the better of Barcelona this season, despite the Blaugranes’ recent dip in form. Hopefully, the Catalans will continue to put in performances like they did last night in the coming matches as well to remain at the top of the league table.
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MALLORCA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 03: Frenkie de Jong of FC Barcelona looks on during the LaLiga match between RCD Mallorca and FC Barcelona at Estadi de Son Moix on December 03, 2024 in Mallorca, Spain.
MALLORCA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 03: Raphinha of FC Barcelona looks on during the LaLiga match between RCD Mallorca and FC Barcelona at Estadi de Son Moix on December 03, 2024 in Mallorca, Spain.
MALLORCA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 03: Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona looks on during the LaLiga match between RCD Mallorca and FC Barcelona at Estadi de Son Moix on December 03, 2024 in Mallorca, Spain.