For the first time in 18 years! Referee sends off two Mallorca players in the first half against Barcelona
Jan Novak
Dailysports's expert
The opening match of the Spanish La Liga turned into an easy stroll for Hansi Flick's men. Barcelona faced no real trouble away from home in their clash against Mallorca.
The scoring was opened as early as the 7th minute thanks to Raphinha, and midway through the half, Ferran Torres doubled the Catalans' lead. But then things took a dramatic turn. The referee sent off two Mallorca players in quick succession.
In the 33rd minute, Manu Morlanes picked up his second yellow card, and just six minutes later, Vedat Muriqi saw red as well. The Kosovar collided harshly with Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García. Remarkably, this is the first time since 2007 that a team has lost two players before halftime in the opening round of La Liga. Back then, it was Sevilla who were unlucky.
Interestingly, Mallorca has experienced a similar situation before. In 2002, during a match against Barcelona, both Álvaro Novo and Samuel Eto'o were sent off in the first half.
