Barcelona edged closer to LaLiga glory with a tense 1-0 win over Mallorca at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, courtesy of a classy finish from Dani Olmo just seconds into the second half. With Real Madrid not in action until Wednesday, the victory pushed Barça seven points clear at the top at least temporarily as the Catalans keep one eye on Saturday’s Copa del Rey final clash against their archrivals.
Despite the narrow scoreline, the hosts were utterly dominant throughout, unleashing a relentless 40 shots matching a LaLiga record for most attempts in a single game since Opta began tracking in 2003. But Mallorca’s goalkeeper, Leo Roman, delivered a sensational performance in his first league start of 2025, making ten saves and keeping his side in the contest right until the final whistle.
Hansi Flick opted to rotate his squad with the cup final in mind, resting Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha. Ansu Fati was handed a rare start, while 17-year-old Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres led the charge in attack. Despite the changes, Barcelona controlled proceedings, peppering Mallorca’s goal in the first half but somehow heading into the break level.
Gavi struck the post, Fati and Torres missed narrowly, and Yamal saw a powerful effort saved. Even Ronald Araujo squandered a golden opportunity from close range. It wasn’t until the 46th minute that the deadlock was finally broken. A slick passage of passes found Olmo in a tight pocket, and the Spain international made no mistake, rifling a left-footed strike into the bottom corner his ninth goal in just 11 league starts.
Barça could have doubled their lead on multiple occasions, but Roman was in inspired form, denying Fati, Eric Garcia, and Yamal, while also pulling off a brilliant reflex stop to deny Fermin Lopez late on. Mallorca barely threatened, though they had a goal ruled out for offside and a late penalty appeal waved away when Garcia tangled with Abdon Prats.
Pedri, who orchestrated much of the attacking play and added defensive bite, was again named MVP, earning praise from Flick post-match. “Pedri is playing at a top level, not just with the ball but also defensively,” the German coach said. “Olmo too his quality made the difference.”
The win not only boosts Barça’s title push but also sets the stage perfectly for the Copa del Rey showdown with Madrid. Flick downplayed any advantage from having extra rest but acknowledged the challenge ahead. “Ancelotti is a great coach, and Madrid are always dangerous.”
For now, Barça will take confidence from a dominant display even if the scoreline doesn’t reflect it and look to carry that momentum into the weekend’s high-stakes clásico. As for Mallorca, their European dreams remain intact, but they’ll need to bounce back swiftly with Girona up next.
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