To Keep The Competition At Bay! Barca Stretch Lead To Four With Win Over Mallorca

Last Updated:February 08, 2026, 09:53 IST

Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal netted for Blaugrana, before Marc Bernal put the result beyond doubt with a late penalty to widen the gap at the top to four points.

Barcelona secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Mallorca on Saturday, extending their lead at the top of La Liga to four points as Robert Lewandowski, Marc Bernal and Lamine Yamal netted at the partially reopened Camp Nou stadium, to widened the gap to Real Madrid, who will visit Valencia on Sunday.

Barcelona’s first-half performance was lacklustre, despite Lewandowski’s goal putting them ahead at the break.

“I was not happy… we were not at our level; the playing and passing were too slow," admitted Flick, who demanded more from his team going forward. “The first half was not how Barca want to play, but the second half was much better."

Mallorca’s Vedat Muriqi came close early on, hitting the side netting, while Jan Virgili’s shot was saved by Joan Garcia. Marcus Rashford injected some urgency into Barca’s game after a sluggish start, curling a shot just wide of the far post after cutting in from the left.

A blocked shot from the England international led to the opener, with Dani Olmo providing the rebound for Lewandowski to finish from close range.

Rashford’s dangerous free-kick was tipped onto the bar by Mallorca’s goalkeeper Leo Roman, and Yamal missed from close range as Jules Kounde sent the rebound his way.

The 18-year-old made amends in the second half with a superb shot from outside the area that left Roman with no chance. It was his fourth goal in four games, with Yamal in his best form of the season.

“He kept his energy for the second half and the goal. Lamine is fantastic," said Flick.

Midfielder Marc Casado struck the crossbar with a deflected effort, nearly increasing Barca’s lead. At the other end, Garcia secured his clean sheet with a good save to deny Antonio Sanchez, before Bernal sealed Barca’s victory.

The 18-year-old midfielder broke through the Mallorca defence, showed composure to create a shooting angle, and scored with the aid of a deflection, marking his first goal for the club.

Bernal broke into the first team at the start of last season, but a severe knee injury in August 2024 sidelined him for about a year, delaying his progress.

“It’s a great joy for him. When a player has such a bad injury, we all feel it, we suffered with him… I’m very happy for him," Casado told Movistar.

Bernal, who usually plays at the base of the midfield, admitted that scoring for the first time for the club was an emotional moment after his injury struggle.

“When I scored, I thought a lot about how tough the last year was for me, so it’s really satisfying, for my family too; I thought of them too," said Bernal.

Flick handed 19-year-old midfielder Tommy Marques his debut late on, as another youngster from the club’s renowned La Masia academy made the jump to the first team.

“His technique is unbelievable, his body language is top," said Flick, adding that the Spaniard may start playing regularly for Barca next season.

In the late match, Real Sociedad moved up to eighth place, just four points behind Real Betis in fifth, after a 3-1 win at home against Elche.

(With Inputs From Agencies)

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