BARCELONA SECURE 3-0 VICTORY OVER MALLORCA WITH LAMINE YAMAL WONDER GOAL
Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski powered Barcelona to a 3-0 victory over Mallorca, as Hansi Flick's side overcame a shaky start.
Lamine Yamal lit up the night with a stunning goal, and both Robert Lewandowski and Marc Bernal got in on the action as Barcelona cruised past Mallorca 3-0 at Spotify Camp Nou on Saturday. It didn’t start easily, though. Hansi Flick’s team looked shaky early on but eventually found its rhythm and ran away with it.
Mallorca came out flying, pressing high and forcing chances in the first 20 minutes. They just couldn’t beat Joan Garcia, who stood tall in goal.
Then Lewandowski did what he does best. Right before the half-hour, he pounced after Dani Olmo cushioned a rebound his way—Rashford’s shot had been blocked, and Lewandowski made no mistake.
Barcelona’s second came before the hour. Lamine Yamal let fly from a distance with the keeper unsighted, and the ball rocketed into the top corner. The kid’s got magic in his boots.
With eight minutes left, Marc Bernal finished things off. He danced past defenders and buried his shot for Barca’s third.
All in all, a straightforward win for Flick’s side against a Mallorca team that didn’t just roll over.
Here’s how the players did at Camp Nou:
Goalkeeper & Defence
Joan Garcia (7/10):
Pulled off a couple of sharp saves early when Mallorca were on top. Once Barca settled, he barely broke a sweat in the second half.
Jules Kounde (5/10):
Had a rough time dealing with Virgili’s runs and looked shaky with the ball in the first half. Improved as the game went on, but needs to step up defensively.
Pau Cubarsi (7/10):
Almost scored with a header. So calm bringing the ball out of defence—rarely loses it.
Eric Garcia (7/10):
Best defender on the pitch for Barca. Stayed cool under Mallorca’s pressing.
Alejandro Balde (6/10):
Didn’t get forward much or impact the attack, but handled his defensive duties fine—most of Mallorca’s threat came down Kounde’s side.
Midfield
Marc Casado (7/10):
Sprayed passes around beautifully and kept getting stuck in defensively. He’s on his way to becoming top-class.
Dani Olmo (9/10):
Set up Lewandowski’s opener with a silky touch. Created more chances than anyone else out there. Pure creativity.
Fermin Lopez (8/10):
Did all the dirty work, covering behind Olmo and Casado. Solid all night.
Attack
Lamine Yamal (8/10):
Missed a sitter at the end of the first half but made up for it with a rocket from range. You can’t take your eyes off him.
Robert Lewandowski (8/10):
Scored the opener with a clinical finish after Olmo’s clever flick. Always a danger, always looking to score.
Marcus Rashford (7/10):
Eager to get on the ball, always cutting in from the left. Took a knock before halftime but shrugged it off.
Subs & Manager
Marc Bernal (7/10):
Came on in the second half and scored a beauty after weaving through defenders.
Ferran Torres (6/10):
Came on once the job was done—didn’t really get into the game.
João Cancelo (6/10):
Brought on to shore things up at the back.
Roony Bardghji (N/A):
Barely had time to make an impact.
Tommy Marques (N/A):
A late cameo.
Hansi Flick (8/10):
He’ll be thrilled with the clean sheet and how he managed to rotate his squad. Business as usual, and a job well done.
LAMINE YAMAL CONFIRMS BARCELONA ARE READY FOR LA LIGA "CRUNCH TIME"
Lamine Yamal has claimed the Mundo Deportivo Trophy while hitting back at critics who demand more goals from the Barcelona prodigy.
Lamine Yamal burst onto the scene for Barcelona back in 2023, when he was still just 15. Since then, he hasn’t looked back. He’s become one of the top players in the world, picking up a bunch of awards along the way.
His latest honour came earlier this week—he picked up the Mundo Deportivo Trophy. Afterwards, he told MD, “I’m proud—my family and friends are proud too. I’m really happy, and I want this year to be even better. Now it’s crunch time, and this is where the real quality in our team needs to show up. I’m enjoying all of this, and I want more.”
People also asked him about Barcelona’s fight to defend their La Liga title. Right now, the team is just one point ahead of Real Madrid. Yamal didn’t sugarcoat it: “La Liga is the toughest competition. It’s long, and nothing’s decided until the very end. Like last year, we’ll have to fight all the way, grab every point, and try not to lose—every match matters.”
He’s also heard the talk about his goal tally. In 135 games for Barcelona since 2023, he’s scored 39 times, but people keep bringing it up. His response? “My game isn’t just about scoring. Sure, people always have something to say—if I play well and don’t score, they complain, and if I score but don’t play well, they complain. I just want to help the team win and keep playing my way.”
As for the spotlight, Yamal’s appearance at the Mundo Deportivo Gala was pretty rare. He’s been keeping a low profile lately, especially in the media, even though there’s been a lot of attention on his personal life this year. According to Sport, he’s done it on purpose—focusing more on being a leader in the Barcelona locker room.
Barcelona’s happy to see the media attention around his private life fading. They’ll want that to continue, letting Yamal just focus on what he does best.
JOAN LAPORTA TO CALL BARCELONA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS ON FEBRUARY 9TH OFFICIALLY
President Laporta is "excited and energised" for the March elections. See his comments on Real Madrid’s controversial win here.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta didn’t hold back after Real Madrid’s recent win over Rayo Vallecano, taking aim at the refereeing and calling out what he sees as double standards. He’s also moving ahead with plans for Barcelona’s next elections, which he says will be called next week.
Real Madrid edged out Rayo 2-1 with a dramatic 100th-minute penalty from Kylian Mbappe. The match dragged on with nine minutes of added time, something that left Rayo fans fuming. To make matters worse for them, Pathe Ciss and Pep Chavarria both got sent off. Ciss later admitted his red card was fair, but frustration still lingered over how the game played out.
Laporta zeroed in on Real Madrid TV, accusing them of hypocrisy. While Madrid had their own penalty shouts turned down, Rayo’s players complained about how easily Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Brahim Diaz hit the turf. Talking to Diario AS, Laporta didn’t mince words.
“I watched the Real Madrid-Rayo game, and honestly, I have no idea where those nine or ten minutes of extra time came from. Some players are getting really good at diving in the box, pretending to get fouled. That should be a yellow card. Rayo Vallecano got the short end of the stick.”
He pointed out how Real Madrid TV usually goes after referees hard, especially when Madrid thinks they’ve been wronged. But after this match? Silence.
“We’re dealing with a club that has a TV channel always claiming the referees are out to get them. Now, when things go their way, what do they have to say? Nothing? Have they even looked at what happened? They need to get their act together.”
Laporta said he isn’t against mistakes happening—sometimes calls even go in Barcelona’s favour—but he wants to see more balance.
“These things happen, but when it keeps going one way, it’s a problem. Hopefully, it gets fixed, because some situations are just too obvious. I’m saying this constructively. Mistakes can help us, too, sometimes.”
Switching gears, Laporta confirmed Barcelona will hold elections in mid-March, and he’s running again. He’ll dissolve the board next Monday so the election process can begin, with a temporary board stepping in.
“We’ll publish the call for elections on February 9th. As the rules say, some board members will need to resign to run, and we’ll take care of that at our meeting on Monday.”
Laporta sounded upbeat about his chances for another term, even with challengers lining up.
“I’m excited and full of energy. It’ll be a model process, with lots of participation, with every candidate putting their ideas forward. That’s how it should be.”