Barcelona Fires 40 Shots but Settles for 1-0 Win Over Mallorca
Barcelona might have dominated the pitch, but their 1-0 win over Mallorca on Tuesday was more about persistence than finishing. Despite taking 40 shots—their most in a La Liga match since 2003—the Catalan giants only managed to find the net once.
That one goal came from Dani Olmo, who finally broke the deadlock just seconds into the second half. His strike was enough to give Barça all three points and keep them seven points ahead of Real Madrid at the top of the table. Madrid still has a game in hand before they face Barça this weekend in the Copa del Rey final.
Flick: “Sometimes 1-0 Is All You Need”
After the game, Barça coach Hansi Flick wasn’t too bothered by the missed chances.
“There were 40 shots—not all on target, but still,” Flick said with a smile. “We played really well. We created a lot of chances. Sure, we didn’t score as much as we wanted, but we didn’t let in any goals either. We won 1-0, and I liked the way we played.”
At halftime, fans were getting frustrated. Barça had already taken 24 shots but had nothing to show for it. Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Román was in top form, making 12 saves in what was his first start since January. Even with Gavi hitting the post and Ronald Araújo missing a sitter, Barça stayed calm.
That calm paid off right after the break, when Olmo scored just 46 seconds into the second half. He became the fifth Barça player this season to hit 10 goals, joining Lewandowski, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Ferran Torres.
Rotation Ahead of Copa Final
With the Copa del Rey final just days away, Flick made some smart choices to rest key players. Frenkie de Jong, Pau Cubarsí, and Raphinha stayed on the bench. Jules Koundé wasn’t even in the squad, ending his run of 86 straight appearances.
The game gave a chance to some fresh faces. Ansu Fati started for the first time since October and played 62 minutes, taking four shots before Raphinha came on. Young full-back Héctor Fort also got a start.
Flick was happy with what he saw from Fati.
“I think he took a step forward,” Flick said. “His teammates are backing him, the fans too. You can tell he’s starting to believe in himself again. It was a good day for him, and for us.”
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A Team That’s Clicking
Flick was also pleased with the overall performance of his rotated squad.
“All the players who came in today were connected,” he said. “They know the system, they know what’s expected. That’s important, especially with a big game coming up. We’re on the right track.”
