Barcelona edged past a stubborn Mallorca side at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, claiming a 1-0 win thanks to Dani Olmo’s early second-half strike.
Despite a hugely dominant display that saw Hansi Flick’s men register 40 shots and enjoy 78% possession, they were unable to turn their superiority into a more comfortable margin of victory.
The result sees Barcelona move seven points clear of Real Madrid at the summit of La Liga, though Los Blancos do have a game in hand.
As it happened
Barcelona came flying out of the blocks and completely dominated the first half. They registered a record-breaking 24 shots without scoring before the break — the highest figure for a La Liga team since the 2003/04 season. Pedri was instrumental in midfield, dictating the tempo and creating several openings with his vision and movement.
Embed from Getty ImagesLamine Yamal and Ansu Fati both tested Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Román early on, with the visitors struggling to escape their own half. Pedri came closest when his deflected effort struck the post, while Ronald Araújo somehow missed from close range after Román parried a shot into his path.
Mallorca did have the ball in the net before the interval through Mateu Morey, but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside. Despite facing wave after wave of pressure, Jagoba Arrasate’s side survived until the halftime whistle with the game somehow goalless.
The breakthrough finally arrived just 41 seconds into the second half. Eric García found Olmo inside the area, and the Spanish international calmly swept a left-footed finish into the far corner to make it 1-0.
Embed from Getty ImagesBarcelona pushed for a second, with Yamal, Ferran Torres and substitute Pau Víctor all coming close. Olmo remained heavily involved, linking midfield and attack with poise and intelligence. However, Román produced a string of fine saves to keep Mallorca in the contest, including a superb stop to deny Pau Víctor late on.
Mallorca barely threatened, failing to record a single shot on target across the 90 minutes. Their best chance came from a corner when Antonio Raíllo headed wide.
Embed from Getty ImagesDespite their wastefulness, Barcelona comfortably saw out the game and secured another vital three points in their pursuit of the LaLiga title.
Flick’s side will now turn their attention to the Copa del Rey final, where they will face Real Madrid at Estadio de La Cartuja on Saturday April 26th. Just four days later, Barça will host Inter at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final.
The lineups
FCB: Szczęsny; Araújo, Eric García, Martínez, Fort; Gavi, Pedri; Yamal, Olmo, Fati; Ferran.
MLL: Román; Morey, Valjent, Raíllo, Copete, Mojica; Sánchez, Mascarell, Samu, Darder; Larin.