Real Mallorca 0 - Athletic Club 0
Real Mallorca started this game against Athletic Club (Bilbao) full of confidence, having reached their best points tally since 2009/10 after ten La Liga games. They started like a side possessed and almost took the lead after 90 seconds, when Muriqi’s effort was saved by Agirrezabala. Minutes later Samu Costa was shown a red card for a rash challenge on ex Mallorca player Galarreta. Replays of the incident showed that Costa had in fact played the ball and after consultation with VAR, the red card became a yellow. However, not long after, Costa had another rush of blood to the head and after a hefty coming-together was shown a second yellow, so Costa was sent off to have the first use of the loofah!
Referee Martinez Munuera then produced three more yellow cards which saw Mojica, Muriqi and Larin going into the little black book. Larin was substituted not long after and in a fit of anger, kicked a water bottle into the crowd. There will be some kind of repercussion over that silly incident. It’s safe to say the referee had a poor game and his over-use of the yellow card put a damper on proceedings.
By now Mallorca coach Jagoba Arrasate had to alter his game plan as his team came under severe pressure. What had started out as a great game of football, especially from Mallorca, became a game of attack against defence.
Somehow Mallorca found more energy and with the 19,797 crowd (huge for a Monday night game) roaring them on, our goal led a charmed life. Attack after attack was repelled by our resolute defence as the visitors missed many golden opportunities. The match was getting close to the end with Mallorca hanging on grimly. Bilbao’s much in-demand winger Nico Williams rattled the crossbar with an exquisite curling shot, then Greif in the Mallorca goal made a brilliant save.
Mallorca’s prize for their gallant effort was, under the circumstances, terrific, and sees the Palma side reach 18 points, the same as Bilbao, Betis and Osasuna. We lie in joint seventh place. The suffering was maximum and the point tasted like victory. Watching on in the stands were new England manager Thomas Tuchel and ex-German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.
Next up we’re away at Alaves on Friday night at 21:00. Visca Mallorca!