Barcelona got their La Liga title defence off to a winning start with a convincing 3-0 victory over 10-man Mallorca. The match promised controversy, and the Spanish club did not disappoint.
Raphinha opened the scoring with a well-struck right-wing cross from Lamine Yamal. However, the game took a dramatic turn when Mallorca captain Antonio Raillo was involved in a head injury incident after blocking a shot by Yamal. Manu Morlanes saw his discipline put to the test as he received two yellow cards for dissent and a foul on Yamal.
The red card came when Vedat Muriqi kicked Barcelona’s debutant goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who had only joined La Liga on a season-long loan from Manchester United due to financial issues. The match was played with nine men after Muriqi’s dismissal was confirmed after a video assistant referee (VAR) review.
It took Barcelona 60 minutes, including stoppage time, to score their first goal through Yamal. The English striker eventually scored the third goal of the game in the dying seconds of regular play, becoming the first English player to feature for the first team in a competitive match since Gary Lineker in 1989.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/live/czxyyx8x7rrt