Barça gets excited before the Cup final

BarcelonaA Barça full of rotations made with the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid in mind took another bite out of the league title after winning (1-0) against a Mallorca side held in check by goalkeeper Leo Román. The talent of Dani Olmo, Pedri, and Lamine Yamal guided an experimental Blaugrana side, with Ansu Fati returning to the starting lineup six months later and receiving the support of his fans and teammates. Héctor Fort also started, and Eric Garcia demonstrated his versatility at right back and provided an assist.

After a first half in which a fearful Mallorca managed to hold off the attacks of a hungry Barça despite the fatigue accumulated by some of their key players, Dani Olmo opened the scoring at the start of the second half. The Terrassa native found the net thanks to delicate control and a precise, accurate shot, the kind that the former Leipzig player executes with elegance, as if interpreting a score. The goal was justified after 45 minutes in which Barça persistently sought out a goal defended tooth and nail by Leo Román, who was the islanders' star player with a host of worthy saves.

After the opera that was Montjuïc on Saturday against Celta, in a match in which tourists filled the stands and the stadium didn't pulse until the team was up to its neck in water, the fans supported the team more against Mallorca. Rocafonda knew that his best partner in the three-quarter zone would be Dani Olmo, who was returning to the starting lineup after his latest injury. Also the rejection that the Rocafonda winger tried to send into the back of the net.

Barça's sequence of offensive actions served to calm Mallorca's initial scares.

Unlike Celta, the Balearic team didn't try to challenge Barça for possession at any point.

Barça's energy, led by regular starters and with substitutes hungry to demand more opportunities from the pitch, was commendable.

Barça's energy, led by regular starters and with substitutes hungry to demand more opportunities from the pitch, was commendable.

The fans also offered warm cheers for Ansu, who, after being absent for a while, connected on a pair of shots that circled Román's goal. He had 17 unrewarded chances in the first half. Mallorca, on the other hand, found the net, but Mateu Morey, a former Barça youth player, flagged Lamine Yamal offside.

After the break, after Dani Olmo's goal and another save by Leo Román on Ansu, Barça eased their pace a bit, probably already thinking about the Copa del Rey final, and Mallorca took advantage of this to emerge from their dugout and push their lines forward. The braver islanders tried their luck with crosses that looked for Larin's head and from dead balls. This opened up space behind Mallorca, but Román continued to save his team, especially in a one-on-one where Lamine Yamal got overconfident. It would have been the final straw. In the end, Olmo's goal was worth its weight in gold, as they marched towards the league title and played the Copa del Rey final with their homework done.